CDC37 cell-cycle regulatory protein and uses related thereto

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to the discovery in mammalian cells, particularly human cells, of a novel CDK-binding protein, referred to herein as &#34;cdc37&#34;. As described herein, this protein functions to facilitate activation and accordingly finctions in the modulation of cell-cycle progression, and therefore ultimately of cell growth and differentiation. Moreover, binding data indicated that cdc37 may function coordinately with other cell-cycle regulatory proteins, such as of cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs), src, p53 and erk kinases.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 08/625,209 filedApr. 1, 1996, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,756,671, which is acontinuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 08/466,679 filed Jun. 6, 1995,entitled "Cdc37 Cell-Cycle Regulatory Protein and Uses Related Thereto",now abandoned, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No.08/253,155 filed Jun. 2, 1994, entitled "CDK4 Binding Proteins" now U.S.Pat. No. 5,691,147. The teachings of both U.S. Ser. Nos. 08/253,155 and08/466,679 are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Passage of a mammalian cell through the cell cycle is regulated at anumber of key control points. Among these are the points of entry intoand exit from quiescence (G₀), the restriction point, the G₁ /Stransition, and the G₂ /M transition (for review. see Draetta (1990)Trends Biol. Sci. 15:378-383; and Sherr (1993) Cell 73:1059-1065). For acell to pass through a control point and enter the next phase of thecell cycle, it must complete all of the events of the preceding cellcycle phase and, in addition, satisfy a number of check-point controls.Such controls act, for example, to ensure that DNA replication has beensuccessfully completed before the onset of mitosis. Ultimately,information from these check-point controls is integrated through theregulated activity of a group of related kinases, the cyclin-dependentkinases (CDKs). Once a phase of the cell cycle has been successfullycompleted. phosphorylation of a critical substrates by activated CDKsallow passage of a cell cycle transition point and execution of the nextcell cycle phase.

The ordered activation of the different CDKs constitutes the basicmachinery of the cell cycle. The activity of CDKs is controlled bvseveral mechanisms that include stimulatory and inhibitoryphosphorylation events, and complex formation with other proteins. Tobecome active, CDKs require the association of a group of positiveregulatory subunits known as cyclins (see, for example, Nigg (1993)Trends Cell Biol. 3:296). In particular, human CDK4 exclusivelyassociates with the D-type cyclins (D1, D2, and D3) (Xiong et al. (1992)Cell 71:505; Xiong et al. (1993) Genes and Development 7:1572; andMatsushime et al. (1991) Cell 65:701) and, conversely, the predominantcatalytic partner of the D-type cyclins is the CDK4 kinase (Xiong et al.(1992) Cell 71:505). The complexes formed bv CDK4 and the D-type cyclinshave been strongly implicated in the control of cell proliferationduring the G phase (Motokura et al. (1993) Biochem. Biophys. Acta.1155:63-78; Sherr (1993) Cell 73:1059-1065; Matsushimi et al. (1992)Cell 71:323-334); and Kamb et al. (1994) Science 264:436-440).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the discovery in mammalian cells,particularly human cells, of a novel CDK-binding protein, referred toherein as "cdc37". As described herein, this protein functions tofacilitate activation and accordingly functions in the modulation ofcell-cycle progression, and therefore ultimately of cell growth anddifferentiation. Moreover, binding data indicated that cdc37 mayfunction coordinately with other cell-cycle regulatory proteins, such asof cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs), src, p53 and erk kinases.

One aspect of the invention features a substantially pure preparation ofcdc37 polypeptide, or a fragment thereof, the full-length form of thecdc37 protein having an approximate molecular weight in the range of40-50 kD, preferably about 46 kD. In a preferred embodiment: thepolypeptide has an amino acid sequence at least 70% homologous to theamino acid sequence represented in SEQ. ID No. 2; the polypeptide has anamino acid sequence at least 80% homologous to the amino acid sequencerepresented in SEQ. ID No. 2; the polypeptide has an amino acid sequenceat least 90% homologous to the amino acid sequence represented in SEQ.ID No. 2; the polypeptide has an amino acid sequence identical to theamino acid sequence represented in SEQ. ID No. 2. In preferredembodiments: the fragment comprises at least 25 contiguous amino acidresidues of SEQ. ID No. 2; the fragment comprises at least 50 contiguousamino acid residues of SEQ. ID No. 2; the fragment comprises at least 75contiguous amino acid residues of SEQ. ID No. 2.

Polypeptides referred to herein as cdc37 polypeptides preferably have anamino acid sequence corresponding to all or a portion of the amino acidsequence shown in SEQ. ID No. 2, or homologs of this proteins, suchother human paralogs, or other mammalian orthologs. In general, thebiological activity of a cdc37 polypeptide will be characterized asincluding the ability to bind to a cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK),preferably CDK4 or CDK6. The above notwithstanding, the biologicalactivity of a cdc37 polypeptide may be characterized by one or more ofthe following attributes: an ability to regulate the cell-cycle of amammalian cell, e.g., of a human cell; an ability to modulateproliferation/cell growth of a mammalian cell; an ability to modulateprogression of a mammalian cell from G1 phase into S phase; an abilityto modulate the kinase activity of a cyclin-dependent kinase, e.g. a CDKactive in G1 phase, e.g. CDK4 and/or CDK6. Such activities may bemanifest in an ability to modulate phosphorylation of a retinoblastoma(RB) or retinoblastoma-like protein by a CDK. Moreover, the activity ofa cdc37 polypeptide of the present invention may also be characterizedby: an effect the growth rate of a tumor, e.g. of a tumor having anunimpaired RB protein; an ability to regulate cell-cycle progression inresponse to extracellular factors and cytokines, e.g. functional inparacrine or autocrine regulation of cell growth and/or differentiation.In this respect, the cdc37 polypeptides of the present invention mayalso function to modulate differentiation of cells/tissue. The subjectpolypeptide may also be capable of modulating cell growth orproliferation by influencing the action of other cellular proteins, suchas src or p53. The subject polypeptide can also be characterized by anability to bind to an extracellular-signal regulated kinase (erk), suchas erk1 or erk2. A cdc37 polypeptide can be a specific agonist of thefunction of the wild-type form of the protein, or can be a specificantagonist.

Yet another aspect of the present invention concerns an immunogencomprising a cdc37 polypeptide of the present invention, or a fragmentthereof, in an immunogenic preparation, the immunogen being capable ofeliciting an immune response specific for the cdc37 polypeptide; e.g. ahumoral response, e.g. an antibody response; e.g. a cellular response.

Another aspect of the present invention features recombinant cdc37polypeptides, or fragments thereof, having amino acid sequencespreferably identical or homologous to the amino acid sequence designatedby SEQ. ID No. 2.

In yet other preferred embodiments, the recombinant cdc37 polypeptide isa fusion protein further comprising a second polypeptide portion havingan amino acid sequence from a protein unrelated the protein of SEQ. IDNo. 2. Such fusion proteins can be finctional in a two-hybrid assay.

Another aspect of the present invention provides a substantially purenucleic acid having a nucleotide sequence which encodes a cdc37polypeptide, or a fragment thereof, having an amino acid sequence atleast 70% homologous to one of SEQ. ID Nos. 2. In a more preferredembodiment: the nucleic acid encodes a protein having an amino acidsequence at least 80% homologous to SEQ. ID No. 2, more preferably atleast 90% homologous to SEQ. ID No. 2, and most preferably at least 95%homologous to SEQ. ID No. 2. The nucleic preferably encodes a cdc37protein which specifically binds a cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK), e.g.specifically binds CDK4 and/or CDK6, a gene product of the srcproto-oncogene (cellular or viral) and/or p53.

In another embodiment, the nucleic acid hybridizes under stringentconditions to a nucleic acid probe corresponding to at least 25consecutive nucleotides of SEQ. ID No. 1; more preferably to at least 50consecutive nucleotides of SEQ. ID No. 1; more preferably to at least 75consecutive nucleotides of SEQ. ID No. 1.

Furthermore, in certain embodiments, the cdc37 nucleic acid willcomprise a transcriptional regulatory sequence, e.g. at least one of atranscriptional promoter or transcriptional enhancer sequence, operablylinked to the cdc37 gene sequence so as to render the recombinant cdc37gene sequence suitable for use as an expression vector.

The present invention also features transgenic non-human animals, e.g.mice, which either express a heterologous cdc37 gene, e.g. derived fromhumans, or which mis-express their own cdc37 gene, e.g. expression isdisrupted. Such a transgenic animal can serve as an animal model forstudying cellular disorders comprising mutated or mis-expressed cdc37alleles.

The present invention also provides a probe/primer comprising asubstantially purified oligonucleotide, wherein the oligonucleotidecomprises a region of nucleotide sequence which hybridizes understringent conditions to at least 10 consecutive nucleotides of sense orantisense sequence of SEQ. ID No. 1, or naturally occurring mutantsthereof. In preferred embodiments, the probe/primer further comprises alabel group attached thereto and able to be detected, e.g. the labelgroup is selected from a group consisting of radioisotopes, fluorescentcompounds, enzymes, and enzyme co-factors. Such probes can be used as apart of a diagnostic test kit for identifying transformed cells, such asfor measuring a level of a cdc37 encoding nucleic acid in a sample ofcells isolated from a patient; e.g. for measuring the rnRNA level in acell or determining whether the genomic cdc37 gene has been mutated ordeleted.

The present invention also provides a method for treating an animalhaving unwanted cell growth characterized by a loss of cell-cycleregulation, comprising administering a therapeutically effective amountof an agent able to inhibit a interaction between a CDK, e.g. CDK4 orCDK6, and cdc37. Likewise, agents which disrupt the binding of an erkprotein to cdc37 can also be used to modulate cell proliferation and/orgrowth. In one embodiment, the method comprises administering a cdc37mimetic, e.g. a peptidomimetic, which binds to one or more of a CDK oran erk kinase, and inhibits the interaction between that protein andcdc37. Similarly, the present invention contemplates a method fortreating an animal having unwanted cell growth characterized by a lossof cell-cycle regulation, comprising administering a therapeuticallyeffective amount of an agent able to inhibit an interaction betweencdc37 and a product of the src oncogene (c-src or v-src) or a product ofthe p53 gene.

Another aspect of the present invention provides a method of determiningif a subject, e.g. a human patient, is at risk for a disordercharacterized by unwanted cell proliferation, comprising detecting, in atissue of the subject, the presence or absence of a genetic lesioncharacterized by at least one of (i) a mutation of a cdc37 gene encodinga protein represented by SEQ. ID No. 2, or a homolog thereof; or (ii)the mis-expression of the cdc37 gene. In preferred embodiments:detecting the genetic lesion comprises ascertaining the existence of atleast one of a deletion of one or more nucleotides from said gene, anaddition of one or more nucleotides to said gene, an substitution of oneor more nucleotides of said gene, a gross chromosomal rearrangement ofsaid gene, a gross alteration in the level of a messenger RNA transcriptof said gene, the presence of a non-wild type splicing pattern of amessenger RNA transcript of said gene, or a non-wild type level of saidprotein. For example, detecting the genetic lesion can comprise (i)providing a probe/primer comprising an oligonucleotide containing aregion of nucleotide sequence which hybridizes to a sense or antisensesequence of SEQ. ID No. 1, or naturally occurring mutants thereof, or 5'or 3' flanking sequences naturally associated with the cdc37 gene; (ii)exposing the probe/primer to nucleic acid of the tissue; and (iii)detecting, by hybridization of the probe/primer to the nucleic acid, thepresence or absence of the genetic lesion; e.g. wherein detecting thelesion comprises utilizing the probe/primer to determine the nucleotidesequence of the cdc37 gene and, optionally, of the flanking nucleic acidsequences; e.g. wherein detecting the lesion comprises utilizing theprobe/primer in a polymerase chain reaction (PCR); e.g. whereindetecting the lesion comprises utilizing the probe/primer in a ligationchain reaction (LCR). In alternate embodiments, the level of saidprotein is detected in an immunoassay.

Yet another aspect of the invention pertains to a CDK4- or CDK6-derivedpeptidomimetic which binds to the cdc37 protein, and inhibits itsbinding to a CDK, e.g. CDK4. Likewise, the present inventionspecifically contemplates cdc37-derived peptidomimetics which bind toCDK4 and inhibit binding of the naturally-occurring cdc37 protein.Non-hydrolyzable peptide analogs of fragments of the cdc37 residues canbe generated using, for example, benzodiazepine, azepine, substitutedgama lactam rings, keto-methylene pseudopeptides, β-turn dipeptidecores, or β-aminoalcohols. In one embodiment, the peptidomimeticcorresponds to the the peptide sequence IYSYQMALT(S/P)V, either incomplete sequence, or a portion thereof (e.g., 4, 5 or 6 contiguousresidues thereof).

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing detailed description, and from the claims. The practice of thepresent invention will employ, unless otherwise indicated, conventionaltechniques of cell biology, cell culture, molecular biology, transgenicbiology, microbiology, recombinant DNA, and immunology, which are withinthe skill of the art. Such techniques are explained fully in theliterature. See, for example, Molecular Cloning A Laboratory Manual, 2ndEd., ed. by Sambrook, Fritsch and Maniatis (Cold Spring HarborLaboratory Press, 1989); DNA Cloning, Volumes I and II (D. N. Glovered., 1985); Oligonucleotide Synthesis (M. J. Gait ed., 1984); Mullis etal. U.S. Pat. No. 4,683,195; Nucleic Acid Hybridization (B. D. Hames &S. J. Higgins eds. 1984); Transcription And Translation (B. D. Hamnes &S. J. Higgins eds. 1984); Culture Of Animal Cells (R. I. Freshney, AlanR. Liss, Inc., 1987); Immobilized Cells And Enzymes (IRL Press, 1986);B. Perbal, A Practical Guide To Molecular Cloning (1984); the treatise,Methods In Enzymology (Academic Press, Inc., N.Y.); Gene TransferVectors For Mammalian Cells (J. H. Miller and M. P. Calos eds., 1987,Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory); Methods In Enzymology, Vols. 154 and 155(Wu et al. eds.), Immunochemical Methods In Cell And Molecular Biology(Mayer and Walker, eds., Academic Press, London, 1987); Handbook OfExperimental Immunology, Volumes I-IV (D. M. Weir and C. C. Blackwell,eds., 1986); Manipulating the Mouse Embryo, (Cold Spring HarborLaboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., 1986).

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates the pJG4-5 library plasmid and the invariant 107amino acid moiety it encodes. This moiety carries (amino to carboxytermini) an ATG, an SV40 nuclear localization sequence (PPKKKRKVA)(SEQID No. 27), the B42 transcription activation domain, and the HA1 epitopetag (YPYDVPDYA)(SEQ ID No. 28). pJG4-5 directs the synthesis of proteinsunder the control of the GAL1 promoter. It carries a 2μ replicator and aTRP1⁺ selectable marker. Each of the CDK4 binding proteins of ATCCdeposit accession number ATCC 75788 are inserted as EcoRI-XhoIfragments. Downstream of the XhoI site, pJG4-5 contains the ADH1transcription terminator.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The division cycle of eukaryotic cells is regulated by a family ofprotein kinases known as the cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs). Thesequential activation of individual members of this family and theirconsequent phosphorylation of critical substrates promotes orderlyprogression through the cell cycle. The complexes formed by thecyclin-dependent kinase 4 (CDK4) and the D-type cyclins, for example,have been strongly implicated in the control of cell proliferationduring the G1 phase, and are strong candidates for oncogenes that couldbe major factors in tumorigenesis. Indeed, recent evidence suggests thepossibility that CDK4 may serve as a general activator of cell divisionin most, if not all, cells.

As described in the appended examples and in parent application U.S.Ser. No. 08/253,155, a CDK4-dependent interaction trap assay (ITS) wasused to identify proteins that can associate with human CDK4. Thepresent invention, as set out below, derives from the discovery that, inaddition to cyclins, p21, p16, and PCNA, CDK4 is also associated withseveral other cellular proteins (hereinafter termed "CDK4-bindingproteins" or "CDK4-BPs"), which associations are important to theregulation of cell growth, cell proliferation, and/or celldifferentiation. Given the central role of CDK4 early in G₁ phase, thepresent data suggest that CDK4 is an important multiplex receiver ofsignal transduction data, with multiple pathways converging on it tocontrol various aspects of the kinases's activity, including bothcatalytic activity and substrate specificity. Thus, because each of theproteins identified by the subject ITS act close to the point of CDK4process control, such as by channeling converging upstream signals toCDK4 or demultiplexing the activation of the CDK4 kinase activity bydirecting divergent downstream signal propagation from CDK4, eachprotein is a potential therapeutic target for agents capable ofmodulating cell proliferation and/or differentiation.

In particular, the present application is directed to the associationbetween CDK4 and a novel human protein which we identified as themammalian homolog of the yeast gene Cdc37, (though only about 14 percenthomologous) the mammalian gene being referred to herein as "cdc37". Thepresent invention, therefore, makes available novel assays and reagentsfor therapeutic and diagnostic uses. Moreover, drug discovery assays areprovided for identifing agents which can affect the binding of cdc37with a cyclin-dependent laaase or other CDK-associated protein. Suchagents can be useful therapeutically to alter, for example, the growthand/or differentiation a cell.

Studies of the temperature-sensitive Cdc37-1 mutant in Saccharonycescervisiae suggests that Cdc37 is required for exit from G₁ phase of thecell-cycle (Reed (1980) Genetics 95:561-577; and Ferguson et al. (1986)Nuc Acid Res 14:6681-6697). Mutation or deletion in yeast of the Cdc37gene results in arrest at "START", the regulatory point in the yeastcell-cycle which in many ways resembles the G₁ restriction point and G₁/S checkpoint in mammalian cells.

While the precise function of Cdc37 in yeast is not known, ourobservation of the human cdc37 binding to CDK4 and CDK6 provides anexplanation for the G₁ phase arrest in Cdc37-1 mutant yeast cells, andalso for the role of cdc37 in mammalian cells. It is asserted hereinthat the mammalian cdc37, and presumably the yeast Cdc37, is requiredfor activation of cyclin-dependent kinases. The cdc37 gene product maybe required for stabilization or localization of CDKs such as CDK4, ormay play a more general role in the regulation of the kinase activity,such as through allosteric regulation or a chaperon-like activity whichfacilitates assembly of multi-protein complexes with a CDK. While notwishing to be bound by any particular theory, our results in recombinantexpression systems indicate that a transient complex is formed between,for example, CDK4, cyclin D1 and cdc37, with cdc37 dissociating uponphosphorylation of CDK4 by a CDK-activating kinase (CAK).

Futhermore, we have observed that the cdc37 protein itself is apparentlyregulated, at least in part, by phosphorylation, the phosphorylated formevidently mediating the interaction of, for example, CDK4 and cyclin D1.Using immobilized cdc37, several proteins which bind to cdc37 werepurified, e.g. by cdc37 chromatography. Detecting phosphorylation of acdc37 substrate, a kinase activity was eluted from the cdc37 columnunder a salt gradiant. The active fractions were pooled, and separatedby gel electrophoresis, and an in-gel kinase assay was performed. Fivebands were identified in the gel as having kinase activity towardscdc37. Two of the five bands appeared as a doublet, each having amolecular weight of approximately 40 kd. This pattern has been observedpreviously in the literature for various members of the erk kinasefamily (for review, see Cobb et al. (1994) Semin Cancer Biol 5:261-8),which kinases are involved in signal transduction, especially frommitogenic signals. For instance, transformning agents utilize thiscascade in inducing cell proliferation. Indeed, western blot analysisrevealed that these two kinase bands isolated by cdc37 binding were theerk-1 and erk-2 kinases, and immunopurified forms of each of theseserine/threonine kinases was found to phosphorylate (and activate)cdc37.

Thus, it is understood by the present invention that the human cdc37fuinctions to control cell-cycle progression, perhaps by integratingextracellular stimulus into cell-cycle control, and it is thereforeexpected that the CDK4-cdc37, CDK6-cdc37 and erk-cdc37 interactions canbe a very important target for drug design. For instance, agents whichdisrupt the binding of a CDK and cdc37, e.g., CDK4 peptidomimetic whichbind cdc37, could be used to effect the progression of cell through G₁.Moreover, antagonistic mutants of the subject cdc37 protein, e.g.,mutants which disrupt the function of the normal cdc37 protein, can beprovided by gene therapy in order to inhibit proliferation of cells.Furthermore, the fact that the human cdc37 homolog binds Src and p53supports the role of cdc37 in cell-cycle checkpoints, as well assuggesting alternate therapeutic targets, e.g., the Src-cdc37 orp53-cdc37 interactions.

For convenience, certain terms employed in the specification, examples,and appended claims are collected here.

As used herein, the term "nucleic acid" refers to polynucleotides suchas deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), and, where appropriate, ribonucleic acid(RNA). The term should also be understood to include, as equivalents,analogs of either RNA or DNA made from nucleotide analogs, and, asapplicable to the embodiment being described, single-stranded (such assense or antisense) and double-stranded polynucleotides.

As used herein, the term "gene" or "recombinant gene" refers to anucleic acid comprising an open reading frame encoding a cdc37polypeptide of the present invention, including both exon and(optionally) intron sequences. A "recombinant gene" refers to nucleicacid encoding a cdc37 polypeptide and comprising cdc37-encoding exonsequences, though it may optionally include intron sequences which areeither derived from a chromosomal cdc37 gene or from an unrelatedchromosomal gene. An exemplary recombinant gene encoding, the subjectcdc37 is represented by SEQ. ID No: 1. The term "intron" refers to a DNAsequence present in a given cdc37 gene which is not translated intoprotein and is generally found between exons.

As used herein, the term "transfection" means the introduction of anucleic acid, e.g., an expression vector, into a recipient cell bynucleic acid-mediated gene transfer. "Transformation", as used herein,refers to a process in which a cell's genotype is changed as a result ofthe cellular uptake of exogenous DNA or RNA, and, for example, thetransformed cell expresses a recombinant form of a cdc37 polypeptide ofthe present invention or where anti-sense expression occurs from thetransferred gene, the expression of a naturally-occurring form of thecdc37 protein is disrupted.

As used herein, the term "vector" refers to a nucleic acid moleculecapable of transporting another nucleic acid to which it has beenlinked. One type of preferred vector is an episome, i.e., a nucleic acidcapable of extra-chromosomal replication. Preferred vectors are thosecapable of autonomous replication and/expression of nucleic acids towhich they are linked. Vectors capable of directing the expression ofgenes to which they are operatively linked are referred to herein as"expression vectors". In general, expression vectors of utility inrecombinant DNA techniques are often in the form of "plasmids" whichrefer to circular double stranded DNA loops which, in their vector formare not bound to the chromosome. In the present specification, "plasmid"and "vector" are used interchangeably as the plasmid is the mostcommonly used form of vector. However, the invention is intended toinclude such other forms of expression vectors which serve equivalentfunctions and which become known in the art subsequently hereto.

"Transcriptional regulatory sequence" is a generic term used throughoutthe specification to refer to DNA sequences, such as initiation signals,enhancers, and promoters, which induce or control transcription ofprotein coding sequences with which they are operably linked. Inpreferred embodiments, transcription of a recombinant cdc37 gene isunder the control of a promoter sequence (or other transcriptionalregulatory sequence) which controls the expression of the recombinantgene in a cell-type in which expression is intended. It will also beunderstood that the recombinant gene can be under the control oftranscriptional regulatory sequences which are the same or which aredifferent from those sequences which control transcription of thenaturally-occurring form of the cdc37 protein.

As used herein, the term "tissue-specific promoter" means a DNA sequencethat serves as a promoter, i.e., regulates expression of a selected DNAsequence operably linked to the promoter, and which effects expressionof the selected DNA sequence in specific cells of a tissue, such ascells of a urogenital origin, e.g. renal cells, or cells of a neuralorigin, e.g. neuronal cells. The term also covers so-called "leaky"promoters, which regulate expression of a selected DNA primarily in onetissue, but cause expression in other tissues as well.

As used herein, a "transgenic animal" is any animal, preferably anon-human mammal, a bird or an amphibian, in which one or more of thecells of the animal contain heterologous nucleic acid introduced by wayof human intervention, such as by transgenic techniques well known inthe art. The nucleic acid is introduced into the cell, directly orindirectly by introduction into a precursor of the cell, by way ofdeliberate genetic manipulation, such as by microinjection or byinfection with a recombinant virus. The term genetic manipulation doesnot include classical cross-breeding, or in vitro fertilization, butrather is directed to the introduction of a recombinant DNA molecule.This molecule may be integrated within a chromosome, or it may beextrachromosomally replicating DNA. In the typical transgenic animalsdescribed herein, the transgene causes cells to express a recombinantform of cdc37, e.g. either agonistic or antagonistic forms. However,transgenic animals in which the recombinant cdc37 gene is silent arealso contemplated, as for example, the FLP or CRE recombinase dependentconstructs described below. The "non-human animals" of the inventioninclude vertebrates such as rodents, non-human primates, sheep, dog,cow, chickens, amphibians, reptiles, etc. Preferred non-human animalsare selected from the rodent family including rat and mouse, mostpreferably mouse, though transgenic amphibians, such as members of theXenopus genus, and transgenic chickens can also provide important toolsfor understanding, for example, embryogenesis and tissue pattening. Theterm "chimeric animal" is used herein to refer to animals in which therecombinant gene is found, or in which the recombinant is expressed insome but not all cells of the animal. The term "tissue-specific chimericanimal" indicates that the recombinant cdc37 gene is present and/orexpressed in some tissues but not others.

As used herein, the term "transgene" means a nucleic acid sequence(encoding, e.g., a cdc37 polypeptide), which is partly or entirelyheterologous, i.e., foreign, to the transgenic animal or cell into whichit is introduced, or, is homologous to an endogenous gene of thetransgenic animal or cell into which it is introduced, but which isdesigned to be inserted, or is inserted, into the animal's genome insuch a way as to alter the genome of the cell into which it is inserted(e.g., it is inserted at a location which differs from that of thenatural gene or its insertion results in a knockout). A transgene caninclude one or more transcriptional regulatory sequences and any othernucleic acid, such as introns, that may be necessary for optimalexpression of a selected nucleic acid.

As is well known, genes for a particular polypeptide may exist in singleor multiple copies within the genome of an individual. Such duplicategenes may be identical or may have certain modifications, includingnucleotide substitutions, additions or deletions, which all still codefor polypeptides having substantially the same activity. The term "DNAsequence encoding a cdc37 polypeptide" may thus refer to one or moregenes within a particular individual. Moreover, certain differences innucleotide sequences may exist between individual organisms, which arecalled alleles. Such allelic differences may or may not result indifferences in amino acid sequence of the encoded polypeptide yet stillencode a protein with the same biological activity.

"Homology" refers to sequence similarity between two peptides or betweentwo nucleic acid molecules. Homology can be determined by comparing aposition in each sequence which may be aligned for purposes ofcomparison. When a position in the compared sequence is occupied by thesame base or amino acid, then the molecules are homologous at thatposition. A degree of homology between sequences is a finction of thenumber of matching or homologous positions shared by the sequences.

"Cells," "host cells" or "recombinant host cells" are terms usedinterchangeably herein. It is understood that such terms refer not onlyto the particular subject cell but to the progeny or potential progenyof such a cell. Because certain modifications may occur in succeedinggenerations due to either mutation or environmental influences, suchprogeny may not, in fact, be identical to the parent cell, but are stillincluded within the scope of the term as used herein.

A "chimeric protein" or "fusion protein" is a fusion of a first aminoacid sequence encoding the subject cdc37 polypeptide with a second aminoacid sequence defining a domain foreign to and not substantiallyhomologous with any domain of the cdc37 polypeptide. A chimeric proteinmay present a foreign domain which is found (albeit in a differentprotein) in an organism which also expresses the first protein, or itmay be an "interspecies", "intergenic", etc. fusion of proteinstructures expressed by different kinds of organisms.

The term "evolutionarily related to", with respect to nucleic acidsequences encoding cdc37, refers to nucleic acid sequences which havearisen naturally in an organism, including naturally occurring mutants.The term also refers to nucleic acid sequences which, while derived froma naturally occurring cdc37 genes, have been altered by mutagenesis, asfor example, combinatorial mutagenesis described below, yet still encodepolypeptides which have at least one activity of a cdc37.

The term "isolated" as also used herein with respect to nucleic acids,such as DNA or RNA, refers to molecules separated from other DNAs, orRNAs, respectively, that are present in the natural source of themacromolecule. For example, isolated nucleic acids encoding the subjectcdc37 polypeptides preferably include no more than 10 kilobases (kb) ofnucleic acid sequence which naturally immediately flanks particularcdc37 gene in genomic DNA, more preferably no more than 5 kb of suchnaturally occurring flanking sequences, and most preferably less than1.5 kb of such naturally occurring flanking sequence. The term isolatedas used herein also refers to a nucleic acid or peptide that issubstantially free of cellular material, viral material, or culturemedium when produced by recombinant DNA techniques, or chemicalprecursors or other chemicals when chemically synthesized. Moreover, an"isolated nucleic acid" is meant to include nucleic acid fragments whichare not naturally occurring as fragments and would not be found in thenatural state.

As described below, one aspect of the invention pertains to an isolatednucleic acid having a nucleotide sequence encoding a cdc37 protein,and/or equivalents of such nucleic acids. The term nucleic acid as usedherein is intended to include fragments and equivalents. The termequivalent is understood to include nucleotide sequences encodingfinctionally equivalent cdc37 proteins or functionally equivalentpolypeptides which, for example, retain the ability to bind to acyclin-dependent kinase. Equivalent nucleotide sequences will includesequences that differ by one or more nucleotide substitutions, additionsor deletions, such as allelic variants; and will, therefore, includesequences that differ from the nucleotide sequence of the cdc37 geneshown in SEQ. ID No: 1 due to the degeneracy of the genetic code.Equivalents will also include nucleotide sequences that hybridize understringent conditions (i.e., equivalent to about 20-27° C. below themelting temperature (T_(m)) of the DNA duplex formed in about 1M salt)to the nucleotide sequence of cdc37 gene represented in SEQ. ID No: 1.In one embodiment, equivalents will further include nucleic acidsequences derived from and evolutionarily related to, a nucleotidesequences shown in SEQ. ID No: 1.

Moreover, it will be generally appreciated that, under certaincircumstances, it may be advantageous to provide homologs of the subjectcdc37 protein, which homologs function in a limited capacity as one ofeither an agonists (mimetic) or an antagonist of cdc37 activity, inorder to promote or inhibit only a subset of the biological activitiesof the naturally-occurring form of the protein. Thus, specificbiological effects can be elicited by treatment with a homolog oflimited function, and with fewer side effects relative to treatment withagonists or antagonists which are directed to all of cdc37's biologicalactivities. For instance, antagonistic homologs can be generated whichinterfere with the ability of the wild-type ("authentic") cdc37 proteinto form complexes with CDK4, but which do not substantially interferewith the formation of complexes between cdc37 and CDK6 or other cellularproteins, such as may be involved in other regulatory mechanisms of thecell.

Polypeptides referred to herein as cdc37 polypeptides preferably have anamino acid sequence corresponding to all or a portion of the amino acidsequence shown in SEQ. ID No. 2, or homologs of this proteins, suchother human paralogs, or other mammalian orthologs. In general, thebiological activity of a cdc37 polypeptide will be characterized asincluding the ability to bind to a cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK),preferably CDK4. The above notwithstanding, the biological activity of acdc37 polypeptide may be characterized by one or more of the followingattributes: an ability to regulate the cell-cycle of a mammalian cell,e.g., of a human cell; an ability to modulate proliferation/cell growthof a mammalian cell; an ability to modulate progression of a mammaliancell from G1 phase into S phase; an ability to modulate the kinaseactivity of a cyclin-dependent kinase, e.g. a CDK active in G1 phase,e.g. CDK4. Such activities may be manifest in an ability to modulatephosphorylation of a retinoblastoma (RB) or retinoblastoma-like proteinby a CDK. Moreover, the activity of a cdc37 polypeptide of the presentinvention may also be characterized by: an effect the growth rate of atumor, e.g. of a tumor having an unimpaired RB protein; an ability toregulate cell-cycle progression in response to extracellular factors andcytokines, e.g. functional in paracrine or autocrine regulation of cellgrowth and/or differentiation. In this respect, the cdc37 polypeptidesof the present invention may also function to modulate differentiationof cells/tissue. Other biological activities of the subject cdc37proteins are described herein, such as an ability to a particularprotein, e.g., an erk kinase, p53 or src, or will be reasonably apparentto those skilled in the art in light of the present disclosure.

In one embodiment, the nucleic acid of the invention encodes apolypeptide which is an agonist or antagonist of the naturally occurringcdc37 protein and comprises an amino acid sequence identical orhomologous to the amino acid sequence represented in SEQ. ID No. 2.Preferred nucleic acids encode a polypeptide at least 60% homologous,more preferably 70% homologous and most preferably 80% homologous withan amino acid sequence shown in SEQ. ID No. 2. Nucleic acids whichencode polypeptides having an activity of a cdc37 protein and having atleast about 90%, more preferably at least about 95%, and most preferablyat least about 98-99% homology with a sequence shown in SEQ. ID No. 2are also within the scope of the invention. Preferably, the nucleic acidis a cDNA molecule comprising at least a portion of the nucleotidesequence encoding a cdc37 protein shown in SEQ. ID No. 2. A preferredportion of the cDNA molecule shown in SEQ. ID No. 1 includes the codingregion of the molecule.

Another aspect of the invention provides a nucleic acid which hybridizesunder high or low stringency conditions to a nucleic acid which encodesa cdc37 polypeptide having all or a portion of an amino acid sequenceshown in SEQ. ID No: 2. Appropriate stringency conditions which promoteDNA hybridization, for example, 6.0×sodium chloride/sodium citrate (SSC)at about 45° C., followed by a wash of 2.0×SSC at 50° C., are known tothose skilled in the art or can be found in Current Protocols inMolecular Biology, John Wiley & Sons, N.Y. (1989), 6.3.1-6.3.6. Forexample, the salt concentration in the wash step can be selected from alow stringency of about 2.0×SSC at 50° C. to a high stringency of about0.2×SSC at 50° C. In addition, the temperature in the wash step can beincreased from low stringency conditions at room temperature, about 22°C., to high stringency conditions at about65° C.

Isolated nucleic acids which differ from the nucleotide sequences shownin SEQ. ID No: 1 due to degeneracy in the genetic code are also withinthe scope of the invention. For example, a number of amino acids aredesignated by more than one triplet. Codons that specify the same aminoacid, or synonyms (for example, CAU and CAC are synonyms for histidine)may result in "silent" mutations which do not affect the amino acidsequence of the protein. However, it is expected that DNA sequencepolymorphisms that do lead to changes in the amino acid sequences of thesubject cdc37 proteins will exist among mammalian cells. One skilled inthe art will appreciate that these variations in one or more nucleotides(up to about 3-4% of the nucleotides) of the nucleic acids encoding aparticular member of the cdc37 protein family may exist amongindividuals of a given species due to natural allelic variation. Any andall such nucleotide variations and resulting amino acid polymorphismsare within the scope of this invention.

Fragments of the nucleic acid encoding a biologically active portion ofthe subject cdc37 proteins are also within the scope of the invention.As used herein, a fragment of the nucleic acid encoding an activeportion of a cdc37 protein refers to a nucleotide sequence having fewernucleotides than the nucleotide sequence encoding the full length aminoacid sequence of, for example, the cdc37 protein represented in SEQ. IDNo: 2, and which encodes a polypeptide which retains at least a portionof the biological activity of the full-length protein (i.e., apolypeptide capable of binding a CDK, an erk kinase, or both) as definedherein, or alternatively, which is functional as an antagonist of thebiological activity of the full-length protein. Nucleic acid fragmentswithin the scope of the invention include those capable of hybridizingunder high or low stringency conditions with nucleic acids from otherspecies, e.g. for use in screening protocols to detect homologs. Nucleicacids within the scope of the invention may also contain linkersequences, modified restriction endonuclease sites and other sequencesuseful for molecular cloning, expression or purification of suchrecombinant polypeptides.

As indicated by the examples set out below, a nucleic acid encoding acdc37 polypeptide may be obtained from mRNA or genomic DNA present inany of a number of mammalian cells in accordance with protocolsdescribed herein, as well as those generally known to those skilled inthe art. A cDNA encoding a cdc37 polypeptide, for example, can beobtained by isolating total mRNA from a cell, e.g. a mammalian cell,e.g. a human cell. Double stranded cDNAs can then be prepared from thetotal MRNA, and subsequently inserted into a suitable plasmid orbacteriophage vector using any one of a number of known techniques. Agene encoding a cdc37 protein can also be cloned using establishedpolymerase chain reaction techniques in accordance with the nucleotidesequence information provided by the invention. A preferred nucleic acidis a cDNA encoding a cdc37 protein has a sequence represented in SEQ. IDNo. 1.

Another aspect of the invention relates to the use of the isolatednucleic acid in "antisense" therapy. As used herein, "antisense" therapyrefers to administration or in situ generation of oligonucleotide probesor their derivatives which specifically hybridizes (e.g. binds) undercellular conditions, with the cellular mRNA and/or genomic DNA encodinga cdc37 protein so as to inhibit expression of that protein, e.g. byinhibiting transcription and/or translation. The binding may be byconventional base pair complementarity, or, for example, in the case ofbinding to DNA duplexes, through specific interactions in the majorgroove of the double helix. In general, "antisense" therapy refers tothe range of techniques generally employed in the art, and includes anytherapy which relies on specific binding to oligonucleotide sequences.

An antisense construct of the present invention can be delivered, forexample, as an expression plasmid which, when transcribed in the cell,produces RNA which is complementary to at least a unique portion of thecellular rnRNA which encodes a cdc37 protein. Alternatively, theantisense construct is an oligonucleotide probe which is generated exvivo and which, when introduced into the cell causes inhibition ofexpression by hybridizing with the mRNA and/or genomic sequencesencoding a cdc37 protein. Such oligonucleotide probes are preferablymodified oligonucleotide which are resistant to endogenous nucleases,e.g. exonucleases and/or endonucleases, and is therefore stable in vivo.Exemplary nucleic acid molecules for use as antisense oligonucleotidesare phosphoramidate, phosphothioate and methylphosphonate analogs of DNA(see also U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,176,996; 5,264,564; and 5,256,775).Additionally, general approaches to constructing oligomers useful inantisense therapy have been reviewed, for example, by van der Krol etal. (1988) Biotechniques 6:958-976; and Stein et al. (1988) Cancer Res48:2659-2668.

Accordingly, the modified oligomers of the invention are useful intherapeutic, diagnostic, and research contexts. In therapeuticapplications, the oligomers are utilized in a manner appropriate forantisense therapy in general. For such therapy, the oligomers of theinvention can be formulated for a variety of modes of administration,including systemic and topical or localized administration. Techniquesand formulations generally may be found in Remmington's PharmaceuticalSciences, Meade Publishing Co., Easton, Pa. For systemic administration,injection is preferred, including intramuscular, intravenous,intraperitoneal, and subcutaneous for injection, the oligomers of theinvention can be formulated in liquid solutions, preferably inphysiologically compatible buffers such as Hank's solution or Ringer'ssolution. In addition, the oligomers may be formulated in solid form andredissolved or suspended immediately prior to use. Lyophilized forms arealso included.

Systemic administration can also be by transmucosal or transdermalmeans, or the compounds can be administered orallv. For transmucosal ortransdermal administration, penetrants appropriate to the barrier to bepermeated are used in the formulation. Such penetrants are generallyknown in the art, and include, for example, for transmucosaladministration bile salts and fusidic acid derivatives. In addition,detergents may be used to facilitate permeation. Transmucosaladministration may be through nasal sprays or using suppositories. Fororal administration, the oligomers are formulated into conventional oraladministration forms such as capsules, tablets, and tonics. For topicaladrinistration, the oligomers of the invention are formulated intoointments, salves, gels, or creams as generally known in the art.

In addition to use in therapy, the oligomers of the invention may beused as diagnostic reagents to detect the presence or absence of thetarget DNA or RNA sequences to which they specifically bind.

This invention also provides expression vectors comprising a nucleotidesequence encoding a subject cdc37 polypeptide and operably linked to atleast one regulatory sequence.

Operably linked is intended to mean that the nucleotide sequence islinked to a regulatory sequence in a manner which allows expression ofthe nucleotide sequence. Regulatory sequences are art-recognized and areselected to direct expression of the polypeptide having an activity of acdc37 protein. Accordingly, the term regulatory sequence includespromoters, enhancers and other expression control elements. Exemplaryregulatory sequences are described in Goeddel; Gene ExpressionTechnology: Methods in Enzymology 185, Academic Press, San Diego, Calif.(1990). For instance, any of a wide variety of expression controlsequences-sequences that control the expression of a DNA sequence whenoperatively linked to it may be used in these vectors to express DNAsequences encoding the cdc37 proteins of this invention. Such usefulexpression control sequences, include, for exarnple, the early and latepromoters of SV40, adenovirus or cytomegalovirus immediate earlypromoter, the lac system, the trp system, the TAC or TRC system, T7promoter whose expression is directed by T7 RNA polymerase, the majoroperator and promoter regions of phage lambda , the control regions forfd coat protein, the promoter for 3-phosphoglycerate kinase or otherglycolytic enzymes, the promoters of acid phosphatase, e.g., Pho5, thepromoters of the yeast α-mating factors, the polyhedron promoter of thebaculovirus system and other sequences known to control the expressionof genes of prokaryotic or eukaryotic cells or their viruses, andvarious combinations thereof. It should be understood that the design ofthe expression vector may depend on such factors as the choice of thehost cell to be transformed and/or the type of protein desired to beexpressed. Moreover, the vector's copy number, the ability to controlthat copy number and the expression of any other proteins encoded by thevector, such as antibiotic markers, should also be considered.

As will be apparent, the subject gene constructs can be used to causeexpression of the subject cdc37 polypeptides in cells propagated inculture, e.g. to produce proteins or polypeptides, including fusionproteins or polypeptides, for purification. In addition, recombinantexpression of the subject cdc37 polypeptides in cultured cells can beuseful for controlling differentiation states of cells in vitro, forinstance, by controlling the level of activation of a CDK. Toillustrate, in vitro neuronal culture systems have proved to befundamental and indispensable tools for the study of neural development,as well as the identification of neurotrophic factors. Once a neuronalcell has become terminally-differentiated, it typically will not changeto another terminally differentiated cell-type. However, neuronal cellscan nevertheless readily lose their differentiated state. This iscommonly observed when they are grown in culture from adult tissue, andwhen they form a blastema during regeneration. By preventing theactivation of a G₀ /G₁ CDK, certain of the cdc37 homologs (presumablyantagonist forms) can prevent mitotic progression and hence provide ameans for ensuring an adequately restrictive environment in order tomaintain neuronal cells at various stages of differentiation, and can beemployed, for instance, in cell cultures designed to test the specificactivities of trophic factors. Other tissue culture systems whichrequire maintenance of differentiation will be readily apparent to thoseskilled in the art. In this respect, each of the agonist and antagonistof CDK4 activation can be used for ex vivo tissue generation, as forexample, to enhance the generation of prosthetic tissue devices forimplantation.

To further illustrate, by antagonizing the activity of the wild-typecdc37 protein, such as by expression of antagonistic homologs, antisenseconstructs, or treatment with agents able to disrupt binding of a cdc37protein with, for example, a CDK or an erk kinase the cultured cells canbe guided along certain differentiative pathways.

Moreover, antagonizing the activity of the wild-type cdc37 protein, suchas by expression of antagonistic homologs, antisense constructs, ortreatment with agents able to disrupt binding of a cdc37 protein with aCDK, can be utilized in diagnostic assays to determine if a cell'sgrowth is no longer dependent on the regulatory function of a cdc37protein, e.g. in determining the phenotype of a transformed cell. Toillustrate, a sample of cells from the tissue can be obtained from apatient and dispersed in appropriate cell culture media, a portion ofthe cells in the sample can be caused to express a dominant negativemutant cdc37 protein, e.g. by transfection with an expression vector,and subsequent growth of the cells assessed. The ability of cells toproliferate despite expression of an antagonistic cdc37 protein isindicative of a lack of dependence on cell regulatory pathways whichinclude the cdc37 protein, e.g. CDK4-dependent pathways such asRB-mediated checkpoints. Depending on the nature of the tissue ofinterest, the sample can be in the form of cells isolated from, forexample, a blood sample, an exfoliated cell sample, a fine needleaspirant sample, or a biopsied tissue sample. Where the initial sampleis a solid mass, the tissue sample can be minced or otherwise dispersedso that cells can be cultured, as is known in the art. Such knowledgecan have both prognostic and therapeutic benefits.

This invention also pertains to a host cell transfected with arecombinant cdc37 gene in order to express a polypeptide having anactivity of a cdc37 protein. The host cell may be any prokaryotic oreukaryotic cell. For example, a cdc37 protein of the present inventionmay be expressed in bacterial cells such as E. coli, insect cells(baculovirus), yeast, or mammalian cells. Other suitable host cells areknown to those skilled in the art.

Another aspect of the present invention concerns recombinant cdc37proteins which have at least one biological activity of a naturallyoccurring cdc37 protein, or which are naturally occurring mutantsthereof. The term "recombinant protein" refers to a protein of thepresent invention which is produced by recombinant DNA techniques,wherein generally DNA encoding the cdc37 protein is inserted into asuitable expression vector which is in turn used to transform a hostcell to produce the heterologous protein. Moreover, the phrase "derivedfrom", with respect to a recombinant gene encoding the recombinant cdc37protein, is meant to include within the meaning of "recombinant protein"those proteins having an amino acid sequence of a native cdc37 protein,or an amino acid sequence similar thereto which is generated bymutations including substitutions and deletions of a naturally occurringcdc37 protein. To illustrate, recombinant proteins preferred by thepresent invention, in addition to native cdc37 proteins, are thoserecombinantly produced proteins which are at least 60% homologous, morepreferably 70% homologous and most preferably 80% homologous with anamino acid sequence shown in SEQ. ID No. 2. Polypeptides having anactivity of a cdc37 protein, such as CDK-binding and/or erk-binding, andhaving at least about 90%, more preferably at least about 95%, and mostpreferably at least about 98-99% homology with a sequence shown in SEQ.ID No. 2 are also within the scope of the invention. Thus, the presentinvention pertains to recombinant cdc37 proteins which are encoded bygenes derived from a mammal and which have amino acid sequencesevolutionarily related to a cdc37 protein represented by one of ID No.2, wherein "evolutionarily related to", refers to cdc37 proteins havingamino acid sequences which have arisen naturally (e.g. by allelicvariance or by differential splicing), as well as mutational variants ofcdc37 proteins which are derived, for example, by combinatorialmutagenesis.

The present invention further pertains to methods of producing thesubject cdc37 proteins. For example, a host cell transfected with anexpression vector encoding a cdc37 polypeptide can be cultured underappropriate conditions to allow expression of the polypeptide to occur.The polypeptide may be secreted and isolated from a mixture of cells andmedium containing the polypeptide. Alternatively, the polypeptide may beretained cytoplasmically and the cells harvested, lysed and the proteinisolated. A cell culture includes host cells, media and otherbyproducts. Suitable media for cell culture are well known in the art.The polypeptide can be isolated from cell culture medium, host cells, orboth using techniques known in the art for purifying proteins, includingion-exchange chromatography, gel filtration chromatography,ultrafiltration, electrophoresis, and immunoaffinity purification withantibodies specific for particular epitopes of the cdc37 protein. In apreferred embodiment, the cdc37 protein is a fusion protein containing adomain which facilitates its purification, such as a cdc37-GST fusionprotein.

Thus, a nucleotide sequence derived from the cloning of a cdc37 proteinof the present invention, encoding all or a selected portion of theprotein, can be used to produce a recombinant form of the protein viamicrobial or eukaryotic cellular processes. Ligating the polynucleotidesequence into a gene construct, such as an expression vector, andtransforring or transfecting into hosts, either eukaryotic (yeast,avian, insect or mammalian) or prokaryotic (bacterial cells), arestandard procedures used in producing other well-known cell-cycleregulatory proteins, e.g. p53, cyclins, RB, p16, p21, and the like.Similar procedures, or modifications thereof, can be employed to preparerecombinant cdc37 proteins, or portions thereof, by microbial means ortissue-culture technology in accord with the subject invention.

The recombinant cdc37 protein can be produced by ligating the clonedgene, or a portion thereof, into a vector suitable for expression ineither prokaryotic cells, eukaryotic cells, or both. Expression vehiclesfor production of a recombinant cdc37 protein include plasmids and othervectors. For instance, suitable vectors for the expression of cdc37include plasmids of the types: pBR322-derived plasmids, pEMBL-derivedplasmids, pEX-derived plasmids, pBTac-derived plasmids and pUC-derivedplasmids for expression in prokaryotic cells, such as E. coli.

A number of vectors exist for the expression of recombinant proteins inyeast. For instance, YEP24, YIP5, YEP51, YEP52, pYES2, and YRP17 arecloning and expression vehicles useful in the introduction of geneticconstructs into S. cervisiae (see, for example, Broach et al. (1983) inExperimental Manipulation of Gene Expression, ed. M. Inouye AcademicPress, p. 83, incorporated by reference herein). These vectors canreplicate in E. coli due the presence of the pBR322 ori, and in S.cervisiae due to the replication determinant of the yeast 2 micronplasmid. In addition, drug resistance markers such as ampicillin can beused.

The preferred mammalian expression vectors contain both prokaryoticsequences to facilitate the propagation of the vector in bacteria, andone or more eukaryotic transcription units that are expressed ineukaryotic cells. The pcDNAI/amp, pcDNAI/neo, pRc/CMV, pSV2gpt, pSV2neo,pSV2-dhfr, pTk2, pRSVneo, pMSG, pSVT7, pko-neo and pHyg derived vectorsare examples of mammalian expression vectors suitable for transfectionof eukaryotic cells. Some of these vectors are modified with sequencesfrom bacterial plasmids, such as pBR322, to facilitate replication anddrug resistance selection in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.Alternatively, derivatives of viruses such as the bovine papilloma virus(BPV-1), or Epstein-Barr virus (pHEBo, pREP-derived and p205) can beused for transient expression of proteins in eukaryotic cells. Examplesof other viral (including retroviral) expression systems can be foundbelow in the description of gene therapy delivery systems. The variousmethods employed in the preparation of the plasmnids and transformationof host organisms are well known in the art. For other suitableexpression systems for both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, as well asgeneral recombinant procedures, see Molecular Cloning A LaboratoryManual, 2nd Ed., ed. by Sambrook, Fritsch and Maniatis (Cold SpringHarbor Laboratory Press, 1989) Chapters 16 and 17. In some instances, itmay be desirable to express the recombinant cdc37 protein by the use ofa baculovirus expression system. Examples of such baculovirus expressionsystems include pVL-derived vectors (such as pVL1392, pVL1393 andpVL941), pAcUW-derived vectors (such as pAcUWI), and pBlueBac-derivedvectors (such as the β-gal containing pBlueBac III).

When expression of a carboxy terminal fragment of the full-length cdc37protein is desired, i.e. a truncation mutant, it may be necessary to adda start codon (ATG) to the oligonucleotide fragment containing thedesired sequence to be expressed. It is well known in the art that amethionine at the N-terminal position can be enzymnatically cleaved bythe use of the enzyme methionine aminopeptidase (MAP). MAP has beencloned from E. coli (Ben-Bassat et al. (1987) J. Bacteriol. 169:751-757)and Salmonella typhimurium and its in vitro activity has beendemonstrated on recombinant proteins (Miller et al. (1987) PNAS84:2718-1722). Therefore, removal of an N-terminal methionine, ifdesired, can be achieved either in vivo by expressing such recombinantpolypeptides in a host which produces MAP (e.g., E. coli or CM89 or S.cervisiae), or in vitro by use of purified MAP (e.g., procedure ofMiller et al.).

Alternatively, the coding sequences for the polypeptide can beincorporated as a part of a fusion gene including a nucleotide sequenceencoding a different polypeptide. This type of expression system can beuseful under conditions where it is desirable to produce an immunogenicfragment of the cdc37 protein. For example, the VP6 capsid protein ofrotavirus can be used as an immunologic carrier protein for portions ofpolypeptide, either in the monomeric form or in the form of a viralparticle. The nucleic acid sequences corresponding to the portion of thecdc37 protein to which antibodies are to be raised can be incorporatedinto a fuision gene construct which includes coding sequences for a latevaccinia virus structural protein to produce a set of recombinantviruses expressing fusion proteins comprising a portion of the proteinas part of the virion. The Hepatitis B surface antigen can also beutilized in this role as well. Similarly, chimeric constructs coding forfusion proteins containing a portion of a cdc37 protein and thepoliovirus capsid protein can be created to enhance immunogenicity (see,for example, EP Publication No. 0259149; and Evans et al. (1989) Nature339:385; Huang et al. (1988) J. Virol. 62:3855; and Schlienger et al.(1992) J. Virol. 66:2).

The Multiple Antigen Peptide system for peptide-based immunization canbe utilized, wherein a desired portion of a cdc37 protein is obtaineddirectly from organo-chemical synthesis of the peptide onto anoligomeric branching Iysine core (see, for example, Posnett et al.(1988) JBC 263:1719 and Nardelli et al. (1992) J. Immunol. 148:914).Antigenic determinants of the cdc37 protein can also be expressed andpresented by bacterial cells.

In addition to utilizing fusion proteins to enhance immunogenicity, itis widely appreciated that fusion proteins can also facilitate theexpression of proteins. For example, the cdc37 protein of the presentinvention can be generated as a glutathione-S-transferase (GST) fusionproteins. Such GST fusion proteins can be used to simply purification ofthe cdc37 protein, such as through the use of glutathione-derivatizedmatrices (see, for example, Current Protocols in Molecular Biology, eds.Ausabel et al. (N.Y.: John Wiley & Sons, 1991)).

In another embodiment, a fusion gene coding for a purification leadersequence, such as a poly-(His)/enterokinase cleavage site sequence atthe N-terminus of the desired portion of the recombinant protein, canallow purification of the expressed fusion protein by affinitychromatography using a Ni2+ metal resin. The purification leadersequence can then be subsequently removed by treatment with enterokinaseto provide the purified cdc37 protein (e.g. see Hochuli et al. (1987) J.Chromatography 411:177: and Janknecht et al. PNAS 88:8972).

Techniques for making fusion genes are well known. Essentially, thejoining of various DNA fragments coding for different polypeptidesequences is performed in accordance with conventional techniques,emplovide blunt-ended or stagger-ended termini for ligation, restrictionenzyme digestion to provide for appropriate termini, filling-in ofcohesive ends as appropriate, alkaline phosphatase treatment to avoidundesirable joining, and enzymatic ligation. In another embodiment, thefusion gene can be synthesized by conventional techniques includingautomated DNA synthesizers. Alternatively, PCR amplification of genefragments can be carried out using anchor primers which give rise tocomplementary overhangs between two consecutive gene fragments which cansubsequently be annealed to generate a chimeric gene sequence (see, forexample. Current Protocols in Molecular Biology, eds. Ausubel et al.John Wiley & Sons: 1992).

The present invention also makes available isolated and/or purifiedforms of the subject cdc37 polypeptides. which are isolated from. orotherwise substantially free of other intracellular proteins, especiallycell-cycle regulatory proteins, e.g. CDKs, cyclins, p16, p21, p19, orPCNA, which might normally be associated with the cdc37 protein. Theterm "substantially free of other cellular proteins" (also referred toherein as "contaminating proteins") is defmed as encompassing, forexample, cdc37 preparations comprising less than 20% (by dry weight)contaminating protein, and preferably comprises less than 5%contaminating protein. Functional forms of the cdc37 polypeptide can beprepared, for the first time, as purified preparations by using a clonedgene as described herein. By "purified", it is meant, when referring toa polypeptide, that the indicated molecule is present in the substantialabsence of other biological macromolecules, such as other proteins(particularly other cell-cycle proteins such as CDK4 or CDK6, as well asother contaminating proteins). The term "purified" as used hereinpreferably means at least 80% by dry weight, more preferably in therange of 95-99% by weight, and most preferably at least 99.8% by weight,of biological macromolecules of the same type present (but water,buffers, and other small molecules, especially molecules having amolecular weight of less than 5000, can be present). The term "pure" asused herein preferably has the same numerical limits as "purified"immediately above. "Isolated" and "purified" do not encompass eithernatural materials in their native state or natural materials that havebeen separated into components (e.g., in an acrylamide gel) but notobtained either as pure (e.g. lacking contaminating proteins, orchromatography reagents such as denaturing agents and polymers, e.g.acrylarnide or agarose) substances or solutions.

However, the subject polypeptides can also be provided inpharmaceutically acceptable carriers for formulated for a variety ofmodes of administration, including systemic and topical or localizedadministration. Techniques and formulations generally may be found inRemmington's Pharmaceutical Sciences, Meade Publishing Co., Easton, Pa.In an exemplary embodiment, the cdc37 polypeptide is provided fortransmucosal or transdermal delivery. For such administration,penetrants appropriate to the barrier to be permeated are used in theformulation with the polypeptide. Such penetrants are generally known inthe art, and include, for example, for transmucosal administration bilesalts and fusidic acid derivatives. In addition, detergents may be usedto facilitate permeation. Transmucosal administration may be throughnasal sprays or using suppositories. For topical administration, theoligomers of the invention are formulated into ointments, salves, gels,or creams as generally known in the art.

Another aspect of the invention related to polypeptides derived from thefull-length cdc37 protein. Isolated peptidyl portions of the subjectcdc37 protein can be obtained by screening polypeptides recombinantlyproduced from the corresponding fragment of the nucleic acid encodingsuch polypeptides. In addition, fragments can be chemically synthesizedusing techniques known in the art such as conventional Merrifield solidphase f-Moc or t-Boc chemistry. For example, cdc37 can be arbitrarilydivided into fragments of desired length with no overlap of thefragments, or preferably divided into overlapping fragments of a desiredlength. The fragments can be produced (recombinantly or by chemicalsynthesis) and tested to identify those peptidyl fragments which canfimction as either agonists or antagonists of, for example, CDK4activation or erk kinase activity, such as by microinjection assays. Inan illustrative embodiment, peptidyl portions of cdc37 can tested forCDK-binding activity, as well as inhibitory ability, by expression as,for example, thioredoxin fusion proteins, each of which contains adiscrete fragment of the cdc37 protein (see, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos.5,270,181 and 5,292,646; and PCT publication WO94/02502).

It is also possible to modify the structure of the subject cdc37 proteinfor such purposes as enhancing therapeutic or prophylactic efficacy, orstability (e.g., ex vivo shelf life and resistance to proteolyticdegradation in vivo). Such modified polypeptides, when designed toretain at least one activity of the naturally-occurring form of theprotein, are considered functional equivalents of the cdc37 polypeptidesdescribed in more detail herein. Such modified polypeptides can beproduced, for instance, by amino acid substitution, deletion, oraddition.

Moreover, it is reasonable to expect, for example, that an isolatedreplacement of a leucine with an isoleucine or valine, an aspartate witha glutamate, a threonine with a serine, or a similar replacement of anamino acid with a structurally related amino acid (i.e. conservativemutations) will not have a major effect on the biological activity ofthe resulting molecule. Conservative replacements are those that takeplace within a family of amino acids that are related in their sidechains. Genetically encoded amino acids are can be divided into fourfamilies: (1) acidic=aspartate, glutamate; (2) basic=lysine, arginine,histidine; (3) nonpolar=alanine, valine, leucine, isoleucine, proline,phenylalanine, methionine, tryptophan; and (4) uncharged polar=glycine,asparagine, glutamine, cysteine, serine, threonine, tyrosine.Phenylalanine, tryptophan, and tyrosine are sometimes classified jointlyas aromatic amino acids. In similar fashion, the amino acid repertoirecan be grouped as (1) acidic=aspartate, glutamate; (2) basic=lysine,arginine histidine, (3) aliphatic=glycine, alanine, valine, leucine,isoleucine, serine, threonine, with serine and threonine optionally begrouped separately as aliphatic-hydroxyl; (4) aromatic=phenylalanine,tyrosine, tryptophan; (5) amide=asparagine, glutamine; and (6) sulfur-containing=cysteine and methionine. (see, for example, Biochemistry,2nd ed., Ed. by L. Stryer, W. H. Freeman and Co., 1981). Whether achange in the amino acid sequence of a polypeptide results in afunctional homolog can be readily determined by assessing the ability ofthe variant polypeptide to produce a response in cells in a fashionsimilar to the wild-type protein. For instance, such variant forms ofcdc37 can be assessed for their ability to bind to a cyclin-dependentkinase, p53, Src or other cellular protein. Polypeptides in which morethan one replacement has taken place can readily be tested in the samemanner.

This invention further contemplates a method of generating sets ofcombinatorial mutants of the present cdc37 proteins, as well astruncation mutants, and is especially useful for identifying potentialvariant sequences (e.g. homologs) that are finctional in binding to aCDK, especially CDK4. Similar embodiments are contemplated forpolypeptides which retain the ability to bind to an erk kinase, e.g.erk1 or erk2. The purpose of screening such combinatorial libraries isto generate, for example, cdc37 homologs which can act as eitheragonists or antagonist, or alternatively, possess novel activities alltogether. To illustrate, homologs can be engineered by the presentmethod to provide more efficient binding to CDK4, yet have asignificantly reduced binding affinity for other CDKs relative to thenaturally-occurring form of the protein. Thus, combinatorially-derivedhomologs can be generated which have a selective potency relative to anaturally occurring cdc37 protein. Such proteins, when expressed fromrecombinant DNA constructs, can be used in gene therapy protocols.

Likewise, mutagenesis can give rise to homologs which have intracellularhalf-lives dramatically different than the corresponding wild-typeprotein. For example, the altered protein can be rendered either morestable or less stable to proteolytic degradation or other cellularprocess which result in destruction of, or otherwise inactivation of thecdc37 protein. Such homologs, and the genes which encode them, can beutilized to alter the envelope of cdc37 expression by modulating thehalf-life of the protein. For instance, a short half-life can give riseto more transient biological effects and, when part of an inducibleexpression system, can allow tighter control of recombinant cdc37protein levels within the cell. As above, such proteins, andparticularly their recombinant nucleic acid constructs, can be used ingene therapy protocols.

In similar fashion, cdc37 homologs can be generated by the presentcombinatorial approach to act as antagonists, in that they are able tointerfere with the ability of the corresponding wild-type protein toregulate cell proliferation.

In a representative embodiment of this method, the amino acid sequencesfor a population of cdc37 protein homologs are aligned, preferably topromote the highest homology possible. Such a population of variants caninclude, for example, homologs from one or more species, or homologsfrom the same species but which differ due to mutation. Amino acidswhich appear at each position of the aligned sequences are selected tocreate a degenerate set of combinatorial sequences. In a preferredembodiment, the combinatorial library is produced by way of a degeneratelibrary of genes encoding a library of polypeptides which each includeat least a portion of potential cdc37 protein sequences. For instance, amixture of synthetic oligonucleotides can be enzymatically ligated intogene sequences such that the degenerate set of potential cdc37nucleotide sequences are expressible as individual polypeptides, oralternatively, as a set of larger fusion proteins (e.g. for phagedisplay).

There are many ways by which the library of potential homologs can begenerated from a degenerate oligonucleotide sequence. Chemical synthesisof a degenerate gene sequence can be carried out in an automatic DNAsynthesizer, and the synthetic genes then be ligated into an appropriategene for expression. The purpose of a degenerate set of genes is toprovide, in one mixture, all of the sequences encoding the desired setof potential cdc37 sequences. The synthesis of degenerateoligonucleotides is well known in the art (see for example, Narang, SA(1983) Tetrahedron 39:3; Itakura et al. (1981) Recombinant DNA, Proc.3rd Cleveland Sympos. Macromolecules, ed. AG Walton, Amsterdam: Elsevierpp273-289; Itakura et al. (1984) Annu. Rev. Biochem. 53:323; Itakura etal. (1984) Science 198:1056; Ike et al. (1983) Nucleic Acid Res. 11:477.Such techniques have been employed in the directed evolution of otherproteins (see, for example, Scott et al. (1990) Science 249:386-390;Roberts et al. (1992) PNAS 89:2429-2433; Devlin et al. (1990) Science249: 404-406; Cwirla et al. (1990) PNAS 87: 6378-6382; as well as U.S.Pat. Nos.: 5,223,409, 5,198,346, and 5,096,815).

Alternatively, other forms of mutagenesis can be utilized to generate acombinatorial library. For example, cdc37 homologs (both agonist andantagonist forms) can be generated and isolated from a library byscreening using, for example, alanine scanning mutagenesis and the like(Ruf et al. (1994) Biochemistry 33:1565-1572; Wang et al. (1994) J.Biol. Chem. 269:3095-3099; Balint et al. (1993) Gene 137:109-118;Grodberg et al. (1993) Eur. J. Biochem. 218:597-601; Nagashima et al.(1993) J. Biol. Chem. 268:2888-2892; Lowman et al. (1991) Biochemistry30:10832-10838; and Cunningham et al. (1989) Science 244:1081-1085), bylinker scanning mutagenesis (Gustin et al. (1993) Virology 193:653-660;Brown et al. (1992) Mol. Cell Biol. 12:2644-2652; McKnight et al. (1982)Science 232:316); by saturation mutagenesis (Meyers et al. (1986)Science 232:613); by PCR mutagenesis (Leung et al. (1989) Method CellMol Biol 1:11-19); or by random mutagenesis (Miller et al. (1992) AShort Course in Bacterial Genetics, CSHL Press, Cold Spring Harbor,N.Y.; and Greener et al. (1994) Strategies in Mol Biol 7:32-34). Linkerscanning matagenesis, particularly in a combinatorial setting, is onattractive method for identifying truncated (bioactive) forms of thecdc37 protein.

A wide range of techniques are known in the art for screening geneproducts of combinatorial libraries made by point mutations andtruncations, and, for that matter, for screening cDNA libraries for geneproducts having a certain property. Such techniques will be generallyadaptable for rapid screening of the gene libraries generated by thecombinatorial mutagenesis of cdc37 homologs. The most widely usedtechniques for screening large gene libraries typically comprisescloning the gene library into replicable expression vectors,transforming appropriate cells with the resulting library of vectors,and expressing the combinatorial genes under conditions in whichdetection of a desired activity facilitates relatively easy isolation ofthe vector encoding the gene whose product was detected. Each of theillustrative assays described below are amenable to high through-putanalysis as necessary to screen large numbers of degenerate sequencescreated by combinatorial mutagenesis techniques.

In an illustrative embodiment of a screening assay, the candidatecombinatorial gene products are displayed on the surface of a cell, andthe ability of particular cells or viral particles to bind a CDK, suchas CDK4 or CDK6, or other binding partners of cdc37, e.g., p53 or Src,via this gene product is detected in a "panning assay". For instance,the cdc37 gene library can be cloned into the gene for a surfacemembrane protein of a bacterial cell (Ladner et al., WO 88/06630; Fuchset al. (1991) Bio/Technology 9:1370-1371; and Goward et al. (1992) TIBS18:136-140), and the resulting fusion protein detected by panning, e.g.using a fluorescently labeled molecule which binds the cdc37 protein,e.g. FITC-CDK4, to score for potentially functional homologs. Cells canbe visually inspected and separated under a fluorescence microscope, or,where the morphology of the cell permits, separated by afluorescence-activated cell sorter.

In similar fashion, the gene library can be expressed as a fusionprotein on the surface of a viral particle. For instance, in thefilamentous phage system, foreign peptide sequences can be expressed onthe surface of infectious phage, thereby conferring two significantbenefits. First, since these phage can be applied to affinity matricesat very high concentrations, a large number of phage can be screened atone time. Second, since each infectious phage displays the combinatorialgene product on its surface, if a particular phage is recovered from anaffinity matrix in low yield, the phage can be amplified by anotherround of infection. The group of almost identical E. coli filamentousphages M13, fd, and fl are most often used in phage display libraries,as either of the phage gIII or gVIII coat proteins can be used togenerate fusion proteins without disrupting the ultimate packaging ofthe viral particle (Ladner et al. PCT publication WO 90/02909; Garrardet al., PCT publication WO 92/09690; Marks et al. (1992) J. Biol. Chem.267:16007-16010; Griffiths et al. (1993) EMBO J 12:725-734; Clackson etal. (1991) Nature 352:624-628; and Barbas et al. (1992) PNAS89:4457-4461).

In an illustrative embodiment, the recombinant phage antibody system(RPAS, Pharmacia Catalog number 27-9400-01) can be easily modified foruse in expressing and screening cdc37 combinatorial libraries of thepresent invention. For instance, the pCANTAB 5 phagemid of the RPAS kitcontains the gene which encodes the phage gil coat protein. The cdc37combinatorial gene library can be cloned into the phagemid adjacent tothe gIII signal sequence such that it will be expressed as a gIII fusionprotein. After ligation, the phagemid is used to transform competent E.coli TG1 cells. Transformed cells are subsequently infected with M13KO7helper phage to rescue the phagemid and its candidate cdc37 gene insert.The resulting recombinant phage contain phagemid DNA encoding a specificcandidate cdc37 protein, and display one or more copies of thecorresponding fuision coat protein. The phage-displayed candidateproteins which are capable of, for example, binding CDK4, are selectedor enriched by panning. For instance, the phage library can be panned onglutathione immobilized CDK4-GST fuision proteins, and unbound phagewashed away from the cells. The bound phage is then isolated, and if therecombinant phage express at least one copy of the wild type gIII coatprotein, they will retain their ability to infect E. coli. Thus,successive rounds of reinfection of E. coli, and panning will greatlyenrich for cdc37 homologs which can then be screened for furtherbiological activities in order to differentiate agonists andantagonists.

Consequently, the invention also provides for reduction of the subjectcdc37 protein to generate mimetics, e.g. peptide or non-peptide agents,which are able to mirnic binding of the authentic cdc37 protein toanother cellular partner, e.g. a cyclin-dependent kinase, e.g. CDK4, orother cellular protein, e.g., an erk kinase, p53 or Src. Such mutagenictechniques as described above, as well as the thioredoxin system, arealso particularly useful for mapping the determinants of a cdc37 proteinwhich participate in protein-protein interactions involved in, forexample, binding of the subject cdc37 protein to CDK4, CDK6, erk1, erk2,Src or p53. To illustrate, the critical residues of a cdc37 proteinwhich are involved in molecular recognition of CDK4 can be determinedand used to generate cdc37 derived peptidomimetics which bind to CDK4,and by inhibiting cdc37 binding, act to prevent activation of thekinase. By employing, for example, scanning mutagenesis to map the aminoacid residues of cdc37 which are involved in binding CDK4,peptidomimetic compounds (e.g. diazepine or isoquinoline derivatives)can be generated which mimic those residues in binding to the kinase.For instance, non-hydrolyzable peptide analogs of such residues can begenerated using benzodiazepine (e.g., see Freidinger et al. in Peptides:Chemistry and Biology, G. R. Marshall ed., ESCOM Publisher: Leiden,Netherlands, 1988), azepine (e.g., see Huffman et al. in Peptides:Chemistry and Biology, G. R. Marshall ed., ESCOM Publisher: Leiden,Netherlands, 1988), substituted gama lactam rings (Garvey et al. inPeptides: Chemistry and Biology, G. R. Marshall ed., ESCOM Publisher:Leiden, Netherlands, 1988), keto-methylene pseudopeptides (Ewenson etal. (1986) J. Med. Chem. 29:295; and Ewenson et al. in Peptides:Structure and Function (Proceedings of the 9th American PeptideSymposium) Pierce Chemical Co. Rockland, Ill., 1985), β-turn dipeptidecores (nagai et al. (1985) Tetrahedron Lett 26:647; and Sato et al.(1986) J Chem Soc Perkin Trans 1:1231), and β-aminoalcohols (Gordon etal. (1985) Biochem Biophys Res Commun 126:419; and Dann et al. (1986)Biochem Biophys Res Commun 134:71).

Another aspect of the invention pertains to an antibody specificallyreactive with a cdc37 protein. For example, by using peptides based onthe sequence of the subject cdc37 protein, anti-cdc37 antisera oranti-cdc37 monoclonal antibodies can be made using standard methods. Amammal such as a mouse, a hamster or rabbit can be immunized with animmunogenic form of the peptide (e.g., an antigenic fragment which iscapable of eliciting an antibody response). Techniques for conferringimmunogenicity on a protein or peptide include conjugation to carriersor other techniques well known in the art For instance, a peptidylportion of the protein represented by SEQ. ID No. 2 can be administeredin the presence of adjuvant. The progress of immunization can bemonitored by detection of antibody titers in plasma or serum. StandardELISA or other immunoassays can be used with the immunogen as antigen toassess the levels of antibodies.

Following immunization, anti-cdc37 antisera can be obtained and, ifdesired, polyclonal anti-cdc37 antibodies isolated from the serum. Toproduce monoclonal antibodies, antibody producing cells (lymphocytes)can be harvested from an immunized animal and fused by standard somaticcell fusion procedures with immortalizing cells such as myeloma cells toyield hybridoma cells. Such techniques are well known in the art, aninclude, for example, the hybridoma technique (originally developed byKohler and Milstein, (1975) Nature, 256: 495-497), as the human B cellhybridoma technique (Kozbar et al., (1983) Immunology Today, 4: 72), andthe EBV-hybridoma technique to produce human monoclonal antibodies (Coleet al., (1985) Monoclonal Antibodies and Cancer Therapy, Alan R. Liss,Inc. pp. 77-96). Hybridoma cells can be screened immunochemically forproduction of antibodies specifically reactive with the cdc37 proteinand the monoclonal antibodies isolated.

The term antibody as used herein is intended to include fragmentsthereof which are also specifically reactive with a mammalian cdc37protein. Antibodies can be fragmented using conventional techniques andthe fragments screened for utility in the same manner as described abovefor whole antibodies. For example, F(ab')₂ fragments can be generated bytreating antibody with pepsin. The resulting F(ab')₂ fragment can betreated to reduce disulfide bridges to produce Fab' fragments. Theantibody of the present invention is further intended to includebispecific and chimeric molecules.

Both monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies (Ab) directed against thesubject cdc37 protein, and antibody fragments such as Fab' and F(ab')₂,can be used to block the action of cdc37 and allow the study of thecell-cycle or cell proliferation.

Another application of anti-cdc37 antibodies is in the immunologicalscreening of cDNA libraries constructed in expression vectors, such asλgt11, λgt18-23, λZAP, and λORF8. Messenger libraries of this type,having coding sequences inserted in the correct reading frame andorientation, can produce fusion proteins. For instance, λgt11 willproduce fusion proteins whose amino termini consist of β-galactosidaseamino acid sequences and whose carboxy termini consist of a foreignpolypeptide. Antigenic epitopes of a cdc37 protein, such as proteinsantigenically related to the human cdc37 protein of SEQ. ID No. 2, canthen be detected with antibodies, as, for example, reactingnitrocellulose filters lifted from infected plates with an anti-cdc37antibody. Phage, scored by this assay, can then be isolated from theinfected plate. Thus, cdc37 homologs can be detected and cloned fromother sources.

Antibodies which are specifically immunoreactive with a cdc37 protein ofthe present invention can also be used in immunohistochemical stainingof tissue samples in order to evaluate the abundance and pattern ofexpression of the protein. Anti-cdc37 antibodies can be useddiagnostically in immuno-precipitation and immuno-blotting to detect andevaluate levels of one or more cdc37 proteins in tissue or cellsisolated from a bodily fluid as part of a clinical testing procedure.For instance, such measurements can be useful in predictive valuationsof the onset or progression of tumors. Likewise, the ability to monitorcertain cdc37 protein levels in an individual can allow determination ofthe efficacy of a given treatment regimen for an individual afflictedwith such a disorder. Diagnostic assays using anti-cdc37 antibodies, caninclude, for example, immunoassays designed to aid in early diagnosis ofa neoplastic or hyperplastic disorder, e.g. the presence of cancerouscells in the sample, e.g. to detect cells in which alterations inexpression levels of cdc37 gene has occurred relative to normal cells.

In addition, nucleotide probes can be generated from the cloned sequenceof cdc37, which probes will allow for histological screening of intacttissue and tissue samples for the presence of a cdc37-encoding mRNA.Similar to the diagnostic uses of anti-cdc37 protein antibodies, the useof probes directed to cdc37 messages, or to genomic cdc37 genesequences, can be used for both predictive and therapeutic evaluation ofallelic mutations or abnormal transcription which might be manifest. in,for example, neoplastic or hyperplastic disorders (e.g. unwanted cellgrowth).

Accordingly, the present method provides a method for determining if asubject is at risk for a disorder characterized by unwanted cellproliferation. In preferred embodiments, the method can be generallycharacterized as comprising detection, in a tissue of the subject, thepresence or absence of a genetic lesion manifest as at least one of (i)a mutation of a gene encoding a cdc37 protein, or (ii) themis-expression of the cdc37 gene. To illustrate, such genetic lesionscan be detected by ascertaining the existence of at least one of (i) adeletion of one or more nucleotides front a cdc317 gene, (ii) anaddition of one or more nucleotides to a cdc37 gene, (iii) asubstitution of one or more nucleotides of a cdc37 gene, (iv) a grosschromosomal rearrangement of a cdc37 gene, (v) a gross alteration in thelevel of a messenger RNA transcript of a cdc-37 gene, (vi) the presenceof a non-wild type splicing pattern of a messenger RNA transcript of acdc37 gene, and (vii) a non-wild type level of a cdc37 protein. In oneaspect of the invention, there is provided a probe/primer comprising anoligonucleotide containing a region of nucleotide sequence which iscapable of hybridizing to a sense or antisense sequence of SEQ. ID No: 1or naturally occurring mutants thereof, or 5' or 3' flanking sequencesor intronic sequences naturally associated with the subject cdc37 geneor naturally occurring mutants thereof. The probe is exposed to nucleicacid of a tissue sample; and the hybridization of the probe to thesample nucleic acid is detected. In certain embodiments, detection ofthe lesion comprises utilizing the probe/primer in a polymerase chainreaction (PCR) (see, e.g. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,683,195 and 4,683,202), or,alternatively, in a ligation chain reaction (LCR) (see, e.g., Landegranet al. (1988) Science 241:1077-1080; and Nakazawa et al. (1944) PNAS91:360-364), the later of which can be particularly useful for detectingpoint mutations in the cdc37 gene. Alternatively, the level of cdc37protein can detected in an immunoassay.

Another aspect of the invention features transgenic non-human animalswhich express a heterologous cdc37 gene of the present invention, orwhich have had one or more genomic cdc37 gene(s) disrupted in at leastone of the tissue or cell-types of the animal. For instance, transgenicmice that are disrupted at their cdc37 gene locus can be generated.

In another aspect, the invention features an animal model fordevelopmental diseases, which has a cdc37 allele which is mis-expressed.For example, a mouse can be bred which has a cdc37 allele deleted, or inwhich all or part of one or more cdc37 exons are deleted. Such a mousemodel can then be used to study disorders arising from mis-expression ofthe cdc37 gene.

Accordingly, the present invention concerns transgenic animals which arecomprised of cells (of that animal) which contain a transgene of thepresent invention and which preferably (though optionally) express anexogenous cdc37 protein in one or more cells in the animal. The cdc37transgene can encode the wild-type form of the protein, or can encodehomologs thereof, including both agonists and antagonists, as well asantisense constructs. In preferred embodiments, the expression of thetransgene is restricted to specific subsets of cells, tissues ordevelopmental stages utilizing, for example, cis-acting sequences thatcontrol expression in the desired pattern. In the present invention,such mosaic expression of the subject protein can be essential for manyforms of lineage analysis and can additionally provide a means to assessthe effects of, for example, modulation of activation of CDK4 whichmight grossly alter development in small patches of tissue within anotherwise normal embryo. Toward this and, tissue-specific regulatorysequences and conditional regulatory sequences can be used to controlexpression of the transgene in certain spatial patterns. Moreover,temporal patterns of expression can be provided by, for example,conditional recombination systems or prokaryotic transcriptionalregulatory sequences.

Genetic techniques which allow for the expression of transgenes can beregulated via site-specific genetic manipulation in vivo are known tothose skilled in the art. For instance, genetic systems are availablewhich allow for the regulated expression of a recombinase that catalyzesthe genetic recombination a target sequence. As used herein, the phrase"target sequence" refers to a nucleotide sequence that is geneticallyrecombined by a recombinase. The target sequence is flanked byrecombinase recognition sequences and is generally either excised orinverted in cells expressing recombinase activity. Recombinase catalyzedrecombination events can be designed such that recombination of thetarget sequence results in either the activation or repression ofexpression of the subject cdc37 polypeptide. For example, excision of atarget sequence which interferes with the expression of a recombinantcdc37 gene can be designed to activate expression of that gene. Thisinterference with expression of the protein can result from a variety ofmechanisms, such as spatial separation of the cdc37 gene from thepromoter element or an internal stop codon. Moreover, the transgene canbe made wherein the coding sequence of the gene is flanked recombinaserecognition sequences and is initially transfected into cells in a 3' to5' orientation with respect to the promoter element. In such aninstance, inversion of the target sequence will reorient the subjectgene by placing the 5' end of the coding sequence in an orientation withrespect to the promoter element which allow for promoter driventranscriptional activation.

In an illustrative embodiment, either the cre/loxP recombinase system ofbacteriophage P1 (Lakso et al. (1992) PNAS 89:6232-6236; Orban et al.(1992) PNAS 89:6861-6865) or the FLP recombinase system of Saccharomycescerevisiae (O'Gorman et al. (1991) Science 251:1351-1355; PCTpublication WO 92/15694) can be used to generate in vivo site-specificgenetic recombination systems. Cre recombinase catalyzes thesite-specific recombination of an intervening target sequence locatedbetween loxP sequences. loxP sequences are 34 base pair nucleotiderepeat sequences to which the Cre recombinase binds and are required forCre recombinase mediated genetic recombination. The orientation of loxPsequences determines whether the intervening target sequence is excisedor inverted when Cre recombinase is present (Abremski et al. (1984) J.Biol. Chem. 259:1509-1514); catalyzing the excision of the targetsequence when the loxP sequences are oriented as direct repeats andcatalyzes inversion of the target sequence when loxP sequences areoriented as inverted repeats.

Accordingly, genetic recombination of the target sequence is dependenton expression of the Cre recombinase. Expression of the recombinase canbe regulated by promoter elements which are subject to regulatorycontrol, e.g., tissue-specific, developmental stage-specific, inducibleor repressible by externally added agents. This regulated control willresult in genetic recombination of the target sequence only in cellswhere recombinase expression is mediated by the promoter element. Thus,the activation expression of the cdc37 gene can be regulated viaregulation of recombinase expression.

Use of the cre/loxP recombinase system to regulate expression of arecombinant cdc37 protein requires the construction of a transgenicanimal containing transgenes encoding both the Cre recombinase and thesubject protein. Animals containing both the Cre recombinase and therecombinant cdc37 genes can be provided through the construction of"double" transgenic animals. A convenient method for providing suchanimals is to mate two transgenic animals each containing a transgene,e.g., the cdc37 gene and recombinase gene.

One advantage derived from initially constructing transgenic animalscontaining a cdc37 transgene in a recombinase-mediated expressibleformat derives from the likelihood that the subject protein may bedeleterious upon expression in the transgenic animal. In such aninstance, a founder population, in which the subject transgene is silentin all tissues, can be propagated and maintained. Individuals of thisfounder population can be crossed with animals expressing therecombinase in, for example, one or more tissues. Thus, the creation ofa founder population in which, for example, an antagonistic cdc37transgene is silent will allow the study of progeny from that founder inwhich disruption of cell-cycle regulation in a particular tissue or atdevelopmental stages would result in, for example, a lethal phenotype.

Similar conditional transgenes can be provided using prokaryoticpromoter sequences which require prokaryotic proteins to be simultaneousexpressed in order to facilitate expression of the transgene. Exemplarypromoters and the corresponding trans-activating prokaryotic proteinsare given in U.S. Pat. No. 4,833,080. Moreover, expression of theconditional transgenes can be induced by gene therapy-like methodswherein a gene encoding the trans-activating protein, e.g. a recombinaseor a prokaryotic protein, is delivered to the tissue and caused to beexpressed, such as in a cell-type specific manner. By this method, thecdc37 transgene could remain silent into adulthood until "turned on" bythe introduction of the trans-activator.

In an exemplary embodiment, the "transgenic non-human animals" of theinvention are produced by introducing transgenes into the germline ofthe non-human animal. Embryonal target cells at various developmentalstages can be used to introduce transgenes. Different methods are useddepending on the stage of development of the embryonal target cell. Thezygote is the best target for micro-injection. In the mouse, the malepronucleus reaches the size of approximately 20 micrometers in diameterwhich allows reproducible injection of 1-2 pl of DNA solution. The useof zygotes as a target for gene transfer has a major advantage in thatin most cases the injected DNA will be incorporated into the host genebefore the first cleavage (Brinster et al. (1985) PNAS 82:4438-4442). Asa consequence, all cells of the transgenic non-human animal will carrythe incorporated transgene. This will in general also be reflected inthe efficient transmission of the transgene to offspring of the foundersince 50% of the germ cells will harbor the transgene. Microinjection ofzygotes is the preferred method for incorporating transgenes inpracticing the invention.

Retroviral infection can also be used to introduce transgene into anon-human animal. The developing non-human embryo can be cultured invitro to the blastocyst stage. During this time, the blastomeres can betargets for retroviral infection (Jaenich, R. (1976) PNAS 73:1260-1264).Efficient infection of the blastomeres is obtained by enzymatictreatment to remove the zona pellucida (Manipulating the Mouse Embryo,Hogan eds. (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor,1986). The viral vector system used to introduce the transgene istypically a replication-defective retrovirus carrying the transgene(Jahner et al. (1985) PNAS 82:6927-693 1; Van der Putten et al. (1985)PNAS 82:6148-6152). Transfection is easily and efficiently obtained byculturing the blastomeres on a monolayer of virus-producing cells (Vander Putten, supra; Stewart et al. (1987) EMBO J. 6:383-388).Alternatively, infection can be performed at a later stage. Virus orvirus-producing cells can be injected into the blastocoele (Jahner etal. (1982) Nature 298:623-628). Most of the founders will be mosaic forthe transgene since incorporation occurs only in a subset of the cellswhich formed the transgenic non-human animal. Further, the founder maycontain various retroviral insertions of the transgene at differentpositions in the genome which generally will segregate in the offspring.In addition, it is also possible to introduce transgenes into the germline by intrauterine retroviral infection of the midgestation embryo(Jahner et al. (1982) supra).

A third type of target cell for transgene introduction is the embryonalstem cell (ES). ES cells are obtained from pre-implantation embryoscultured in vitro and fused with embryos (Evans et al. (1981) Nature292:154-156; Bradley et al. (1984) Nature 309:255-258; Gossler et al.(1986) PNAS 83: 9065-9069; and Robertson et al. (1986) Nature322:445-448). Transgenes can be efficiently introduced into the ES cellsby DNA transfection or by retrovirus-mediated transduction. Suchtransformed ES cells can thereafter be combined with blastocysts from anon-lhuman animal. The ES cells thereafter colonize the embryo andcontribute to the germ line of the resulting chimeric animal. For reviewsee Jaenisch, R. (1988) Science 240:1468-1474.

Methods of making knock-out or disruption transgenic animals are alsogenerally known. See, for example, Manipulating the Mouse Embryo, (ColdSpring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., 1986).Recombinase dependent knockouts can also be generated, e.g. byhomologous recombination to insert target sequences, such that tissuespecific and/or temporal control of inactivation of a cdc37 gene can becontrolled as above.

Yet another aspect of the invention pertains to methods of treatingproliferative and/or differentiative disorders which arise from cellswhich, despite aberrant growth control, still require a cdc37-dependentCDK for cell growth. There are a wide variety of pathological cellproliferative conditions for which the cdc37 gene constructs, cdc37mimetics, and cdc37 antagonists of the present invention can providetherapeutic benefits, with the general strategy being the inhibition ofanomalous cell proliferation. For instance, the gene constructs of thepresent invention can be used as a part of a gene therapy protocol, suchas to reconstitute the function of a cdc37 protein, e.g. in a cell inwhich the protein is misexpressed or in which signal transductionpathways upstream of the cdc37 protein are dysfimctional, or to inhibitthe function of the wild-type protein, e.g. by delivery of a dominantnegative mutant.

To illustrate, cell types which exhibit pathological or abnormal growthpresumably dependent at least in part on a function of a cdc37 proteininclude various cancers and leukemias, psoriasis, bone diseases,fibroproliferative disorders such as involving connective tissues,atherosclerosis and other smooth muscle proliferative disorders, as wellas chronic inflammation. In addition to proliferative disorders, thetreatment of differentiative disorders which result from eitherde-differentiation of tissue due to aberrant reentry into mitosis, orunwanted differentiation due to a failure to appropriately activatecertain CDK complexes.

It will also be apparent that, by transient use of gene therapyconstructs of the subject cdc37 proteins (e.g. agonist and antagonistforms) or antisense nucleic acids, in vivo reformation of tissue can beaccomplished, e.g. in the development and maintenance of organs. Bycontrolling the proliferative and differentiative potential fordifferent cells, the subject gene constructs can be used to reforminjured tissue, or to improve grafting and morphology of transplantedtissue. For instance, cdc37 agonists and antagonists can be employedtherapeutically to regulate organs after physical, chemical orpathological insult. For example, gene therapy can be utilized in liverrepair subsequent to a partial hepatectomy, or to promote regenerationof lung tissue in the treatment of emphysema.

In one aspect of the invention, expression constructs of the subjectcdc37 proteins may be administered in any biologically effectivecarrier, e.g. any formulation or composition capable of effectivelytransfecting cells in vivo with a recombinant cdc37 gene. Approachesinclude insertion of the subject gene in viral vectors includingrecombinant retroviruses, adenovirus, adeno-associated virus, and herpessimplex virus-1, or recombinant bacterial or eukaryotic plasmids. Viralvectors can be used to transfect cells directly; plasmid DNA can bedelivered with the help of, for example, cationic liposomes (lipofectin)or derivatized (e.g. antibody conjugated), polylysine conjugates,gramacidin S, artificial viral envelopes or other such intracellularcarriers, as well as direct injection of the gene construct or CaPO₄precipitation cairied out in vivo. It will be appreciated that becausetransduction of appropriate target cells represents the critical firststep in gene therapy, choice of the particular gene delivery system willdepend on such factors as the phenotype of the intended target and theroute of administration, e.g. locally or systemically.

A preferred approach for in vivo introduction of nucleic acid encodingone of the subject proteins into a cell is by use of a viral vectorcontaining nucleic acid, e.g. a cDNA, encoding the gene product.Infection of cells with a viral vector has the advantage that a largeproportion of the targeted cells can receive the nucleic acid.Additionally, molecules encoded within the viral vector, e.g., by a cDNAcontained in the viral vector, are expressed efficiently in cells whichhave taken up viral vector nucleic acid.

Retrovirus vectors and adeno-associated virus vectors are generallyunderstood to be the recombinant gene delivery system of choice for thetransfer of exogenous genes in vivo, particularly into humans. Thesevectors provide efficient delivery of genes into cells, and thetransferred nucleic acids are stably integrated into the chromosomal DNAof the host. A major prerequisite for the use of retroviruses is toensure the safety of their use, particularly with regard to thepossibility of the spread of wild-type virus in the cell population. Thedevelopment of specialized cell lines (termed "packaging cells") whichproduce only replication-defective retroviruses has increased theutility of retroviruses for gene therapy, and defective retroviruses arewell characterized for use in gene transfer for gene therapy purposes(for a review see Miller, A. D. (1990) Blood 76:271). Thus, recombinantretrovirus can be constructed in which part of the retroviral codingsequence (gag, pol, env) has been replaced by nucleic acid encoding acdc37 polypeptide, rendering the retrovirus replication defective. Thereplication defective retrovirus is then packaged into virions which canbe used to infect a target cell through the use of a helper virus bystandard techniques. Protocols for producing recombinant retrovirusesand for infecting cells in vitro or in vivo with such viruses can befound in Current Protocols in Molecular Biology, Ausubel, F. M. et al.(eds.) Greene Publishing Associates, (1989), Sections 9.10-9.14 andother standard laboratory manuals. Examples of suitable retrovirusesinclude pLJ, pZIP, pWE and pEM which are well knowvn to those skilled inthe art. Examples of suitable packaging virus lines for preparing bothecotropic and amphotropic retroviral systems include ψCrip, ψCre, ψ2 andψAm. Retroviruses have been used to introduce a variety of genes intomany different cell types, including neural cells, epithelial cells,endothelial cells, lymphocytes, myoblasts, hepatocytes, bone marrowcells, in vitro and/or in vivo (see for example Eglitis, et al. (1985)Science 230:1395-1398; Danos and Mlulligan (1988) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci.USA 85:6460-6464; Wilson et al. (1988) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA85:3014-3018; Armentano et al. (1990) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA87:6141-6145; Huber et al. (1991) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA88:8039-8043; Ferry et al. (1991) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA88:8377-8381; Chowdhury et al. (1991) Science 254:1802-1805; vanBeusechem et al. (1992) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 89:7640-7644; Kay etal. (1992) Human Gene Therapy 3:641-647; Dai et al. (1992) Proc. Natl.Acad. Sci. USA 89:10892-10895; Hwu et al. (1993) J. Immunol.150:4104-4115; U.S. Pat. No. 4,868,116; U.S. Pat. No. 4,980,286; PCTApplication WO 89/07136; PCT Application WO 89/02468; PCT Application WO89/05345; and PCT Application WO 92/07573).

In choosing retroviral vectors as a gene delivery system for the subjectcdc37 genes, it is important to note that a prerequisite for thesuccessfiul infection of target cells by most retroviruses, andtherefore of stable introduction of the recombinant cdc37 gene, is thatthe target cells must be dividing. In general, this requirement will notbe a hindrance to use of retroviral vectors to deliver antagonisticcdc37 gene constructs. In fact, such limitation on infection can bebeneficial in circumstances wherein the tissue (e.g. nontransformedcells) surrounding the target cells does not undergo extensive celldivision and is therefore refractory to infection with retroviralvectors.

Furthermore, it has been shown that it is possible to limit theinfection spectrum of retroviruses and consequently of retroviral-basedvectors, by modifying the viral packaging proteins on the surface of theviral particle (see, for example PCT publications WO93/25234,WO94/06920, and WO94/11524). For instance, strategies for themodification of the infection spectrum of retroviral vectors include:coupling antibodies specific for cell surface antigens to the viral envprotein (Roux et al. (1989) PNAS 86:9079-9083; Julan et al. (1992) J.Gen Virol 73:3251-3255; and Goud et al. (1983) Virology 163:251-254); orcoupling cell surface ligands to the viral env proteins (Neda et al.(1991) J. Biol. Chem. 266:14143-14146). Coupling can be in the form ofthe chemical cross-linking with a protein or other variety (e.g. lactoseto convert the env protein to an asialoglycoprotein), as well as bygenerating fusion proteins (e.g. single-chain antibody/env fusionproteins). This technique, while useful to limit or otherwise direct theinfection to certain tissue types, and can also be used to convert anecotropic vector in to an amphotropic vector.

Moreover, use of retroviral gene delivery can be further enhanced by theuse of tissue- or cell-specific transcriptional regulatory sequenceswhich control expression of the cdc37 gene of the retroviral vector.

Another viral gene delivery system useful in the present inventionutilizes adenovirus-derived vectors. The genome of an adenovirus can bemanipulated such that it encodes a gene product of interest, but isinactivate in terms of its ability to replicate in a normal lytic virallife cycle (see, for example, Berkner et al. (1988) BioTechniques 6:616;Rosenfeld et al. (1991) Science 252:431-434; and Rosenfeld et al. (1992)Cell 68:143-155). Suitable adenoviral vectors derived from theadenovirus strain Ad type 5 dl324 or other strains of adenovirus (e.g.,Ad2, Ad3, Ad7 etc.) are well known to those skilled in the art.Recombinant adenoviruses can be advantageous in certain circumstances inthat they are not capable of infecting nondividing cells and can be usedto infect a wide variety of cell types, including airway epithelium(Rosenfeld et al. (1992) cited supra), endothelial cells (Lemarchand etal. (1992) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 89:6482-6486), hepatocytes (Herzand Gerard (1993) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 90:2812-2816) and musclecells (Quantin et al. (1992) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 89:2581-2584).Furthermore, the virus particle is relatively stable and amenable topurification and concentration, and as above, can be modified so as toaffect the spectrum of infectivity. Additionally, introduced adenoviralDNA (and foreign DNA contained therein) is not integrated into thegenome of a host cell but remains episomal, thereby avoiding potentialproblems that can occur as a result of insertional mutagenesis insituations where introduced DNA becomes integrated into the host genome(e.g., retroviral DNA). Moreover, the carrying capacity of theadenoviral genome for foreign DNA is large (up to 8 kilobases) relativeto other gene delivery vectors (Berkner et al., supra; Haj-Ahmand andGraham (1986) J. Virol. 57:267). Most replication-defective adenoviralvectors currently in use and therefore favored by the present inventionare deleted for all or parts of the viral E1 and E3 genes but retain asmuch as 80% of the adenoviral genetic material (see, e.g., Jones et al.(1979) Cell 16:683; Berkner et al., supra; and Graham et al. in Methodsin Molecular Biology, E. J. Murray, Ed. (Humana, Clifton, N.J., 1991)vol. 7. pp. 109-127). Expression of the inserted cdc37 gene can be undercontrol of, for example, the E1A promoter, the major late promoter (MLP)and associated leader sequences, the E3 promoter, or exogenously addedpromoter sequences.

Yet another viral vector system useful for delivery of the subject cdc37gene is the adeno-associated virus (AAV). Adeno-associated virus is anaturally occurring defective virus that requires another virus, such asan adenovirus or a herpes virus, as a helper virus for efficientreplication and a productive life cycle. (For a review see Muzyczka etal. Curr. Topics in Micro. and Immunol. (1992) 158:97-129). It is alsoone of the few viruses that may integrate its DNA into non-dividingcells, and exhibits a high frequency of stable integration (see forexample Flotte et al. (1992) Am. J. Respir. Cell. Mol. Biol. 7:349-356;Samulski et al. (1989) J. Virol. 63:3822-3828; and McLaughlin et al.(1989) J. Virol. 62:1963-1973). Vectors containing as little as 300 basepairs of AAV can be packaged and can integrate. Space for exogenous DNAis limited to about 4.5 kb. An AAV vector such as that described inTratschin et al. (1985) Mol. Cell. Biol. 5:3251-3260 can be used tointroduce DNA into cells. A variety of nucleic acids have beenintroduced into different cell types using AAV vectors (see for exampleHermonat et al. (1984) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 81:6466-6470;Tratschin et al. (1985) Mol. Cell. Biol. 4:2072-2081; Wondisford et al.(1988) Mol. Endocrinol. 2:32-39; Tratschin et al. (1984) J. Virol.51:611-619; and Flotte et al. (1993) J. Biol. Chem. 268:3781-3790).

Other viral vector systems that may have application in gene therapyhave been derived from herpes virus, vaccinia virus, and several RNAviruses. In particular, herpes virus vectors may provide a uniquestrategy for persistence of the recombinant cdc37 gene in cells of thecentral nervous system and ocular tissue (Pepose et al. (1994) InvestOphthalmol Vis Sci 35:2662-2666)

In addition to viral transfer methods, such as those illustrated above,non-viral methods can also be employed to cause expression of a cdc37protein in the tissue of an animal. Most nonviral methods of genetransfer rely on normal mechanisms used by mammalian cells for theuptake and intracellular transport of macromolecules. In preferredembodiments, non-viral gene delivery systems of the present inventionrely on endocytic pathways for the uptake of the subject cdc37 gene bythe targeted cell. Exemplary gene delivery systems of this type includeliposomal derived systems, poly-lysine conjugates, and artificial viralenvelopes.

In a representative embodiment, a gene encoding a cdc37 polypeptide canbe entrapped in liposomes bearing positive charges on their surface(e.g., lipofectins) and (optionally) which are tagged with antibodiesagainst cell surface antigens of the target tissue (Mizuno et al. (1992)No Shinkei Geka 20:547-551; PCT publication WO91/06309; Japanese patentapplication 1047381; and European patent publication EP-A-43075). Forexample, lipofection of neuroglioma cells can be carried out usingliposomes tagged with monoclonal antibodies against glioma-associatedantigen (Mizuno et al. (1992) Neurol. Med. Chir. 32:873-876).

In yet another illustrative embodiment, the gene delivery systemcomprises an antibody or cell surface ligand which is cross-linked witha gene binding agent such as poly-lysine (see, for example, PCTpublications WO93/04701, WO92/22635, WO92/20316, WO92/19749, andWO92/06180). For example, the subject cdc37 gene construct can be usedto transfect hepatocytic cells in vivo using a soluble polynucleotidecarrier comprising an asialoglycoprotein conjugated to a polycation,e.g. poly-lysine (see U.S. Pat. No. 5,166,320). It will also beappreciated that effective delivery of the subject nucleic acidconstructs via -mediated endocytosis can be improved using agents whichenhance escape of the gene from the endosomal structures. For instance,whole adenovirus or fusogenic peptides of the influenza HA gene productcan be used as part of the delivery system to induce efficientdisruption of DNA-containing endosomes (Mulligan et al. (1993) Science260-926; Wagner et al. (1992) PNAS 89:7934; and Christiano et al. (1993)PNAS 90:2122).

In clinical settings, the gene delivery systems can be introduced into apatient by any of a number of methods, each of which is familiar in theart. For instance, a pharmaceutical preparation of the gene deliverysystem can be introduced systemically, e.g. by intravenous injection,and specific transduction of the construct in the target cells occurspredominantly from specificity of transfection provided by the genedelivery vehicle, cell-type or tissue-type expression due to thetranscriptional regulatory sequences controlling expression of the gene,or a combination thereof. In other embodiments, initial delivery of therecombinant gene is more limited with introduction into the animal beingquite localized. For example, the gene delivery vehicle can beintroduced by catheter (see U.S. Pat. No. 5,328,470) or by stereotacticinjection (e.g. Chen et al. (1994) PNAS 91: 3054-3057).

Moreover, the pharmaceutical preparation can consist essentially of thegene delivery system in an acceptable diluent, or can comprise a slowrelease matrix in which the gene delivery vehicle is imbedded.Alternatively, where the complete gene delivery system can be producedin tact from recombinant cells, e.g. retroviral packages, thepharmaceutical preparation can comprise one or more cells which producethe gene delivery system. In the case of the latter, methods ofintroducing the viral packaging cells may be provided by, for example,rechargeable or biodegradable devices. Various slow release polymericdevices have been developed and tested in vivo in recent years for thecontrolled delivery of drugs, including proteinaciousbioplharmaceuticals, and can be adapted for release of viral particlesthrough the manipulation of the polymer composition and form. A varietyof biocompatible polymers (including hydrogels), including bothbiodegradable and non-degradable polymers, can be used to form animplant for the sustained release of an the viral particles by cellsimplanted at a particular target site. Such embodiments of the presentinvention can be used for the delivery of an exogenously purified virus,which has been incorporated in the polymeric device, or for the deliveryof viral particles produced by a cell encapsulated in the polymericdevice.

By choice of monomer composition or polymerization technique, the amountof water, porosity and consequent permeability characteristics can becontrolled. The selection of the shape, size, polymer, and method forimplantation can be determined on an individual basis according to thedisorder to be treated and the individual patient response. Thegeneration of such implants is gencrally known in the art. See, forexample, Concise Encyclopedia of Medical & Dental Materials, ed. byDavid Williams (MIT Press: Cambridge, Mass., 1990); and the Sabel et al.U.S. Pat. No. 4,883,666. In another embodiment of an implant, a sourceof cells producing a the recombinant virus is encapsulated inimplantable lhollow fibers. Such fibers can be pre-spun and subsequentlyloaded with the viral source (Aebischer et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,892,538;Aebischer et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,106,627; Hoffman et al. (1990) Expt.Neurobiol. 110:39-44; Jaeger et al. (1990) Prog. Brain Res. 82:41-46;and Aebisclher et al. (1991) J. Biomech. Eng. 113:178-183), or can beco-extruded with a polymer which acts to form a polymeric coat about theviral packaging cells (Lim U.S. Pat. No. 4,391,909; Sefton U.S. Pat. No.4,353,888; Sugamori et al. (1989) Trans. Am. Artif Intern. Organs35:791-799; Sefton et al. (1987) Biotechnol. Bioeng. 29:1135-1143; andAebischer et al. (1991) Biomaterials 12:50-55). Again, manipulation ofthe polymer can be carried out to provide for optimal release of viralparticles.

As set out above, the present invention also provides assays foridentifying drugs which are either agonists or antagonists of the normalcellular finction of cdc37, or of the role of cdc37 in the pathogenesisof normal or abnormal cellular proliferation and/or differentiation anddisorders related thereto, as mediated by, for example binding of cdc37to a target protein, e.g., CDK4, CDK6, an erk kinase, Src or p53. In oneembodiment, the assay evaluates the ability of a compound to modulatebinding of cdc37 to a CDK or other of cell-cycle regulatory protein.While the following descriprion is directed generally to embodimentsexploiting the interaction between cdc37 and a CDK, it will beunderstood that similar embodiments can be generated using, for example,an erk polypeptide, such as erk1 or erk2. The purification, cloning andsequence of, for example, erk1 and erk2 are provided in the art (see,for example, Boulton et al. (1991) Cell 663-675; Boulton et al. (1990)Science 249:64-67; and Boulton et al. (1991) Biochemistry 30:278-286),as well as described in the appended examples.

A variety of assay formats will suffice and, in light of the presentdisclosure, those not expressly described herein will nevertheless becomprehended by one of ordinary skill in the art. Agents to be testedfor their ability to act as cdc37 inhibitors can be produced, forexample, by bacteria, yeast or other organisms (e.g. natural products),produced chemically (e.g. small molecules, including peptidomimetics),or produced recombinantly. In a preferred embodiment, the test agent isa small organic molecule, e.g., other than a peptide, oligonucleotide,or analog thereof, having a molecular weight of less than about 2,000daltons.

In many drug screening programs which test libraries of compounds andnatural extracts, high throughput assays are desirable in order tomaximize the number of compounds surveyed in a given period of time.Assays which are performed in cell-free systems, such as may be derivedwith purified or semi-purified proteins, are often preferred as"primary" screens in that they can be generated to permit rapiddevelopment and relatively easy detection of an alteration in amolecular target which is mediated by a test compound. Moreover, theeffects of cellular toxicity and/or bioavailability of the test compoundcan be generally ignored in the in vitr-o system, the assay insteadbeing focused primarily on the effect of the drug on the moleculartarget as may be manifest in an alteration of binding affinity betweencdc37 and other proteins, or in changes in a property of the moleculartarget for cdc37 binding. Accordingly, in an exemplary screening assayof the present invention, the compound of interest is contacted with anisolated and purified cdc37 polypeptide which is ordinarily capable ofbinding CDK4. To the mixture of the compound and cdc37 polypeptide isthen added a composition containing a CDK4 polypeptide. Detection andquantification of CDK4/cdc37 complexes provides a means for determiningthe compound's efficacy at inhibiting (or potentiating) complexformation between the CDK4 and cdc37 polypeptides. The efficacy of thecompound can be assessed by generating dose response curves from dataobtained using various concentrations of the test compound. Moreover, acontrol assay can also be performed to provide a baseline forcomparison. In the control assay, isolated and purified CDK4 is added toa composition contairiing the cdc37 protein, and the formation ofCDK4/cdc37 complex is quantitated in the absence of the test compound.It will be understood that, in general, the order in which the reactantsmay be admixed can be varied, and can be admixed simultaneously.Moreover, CDK4 can be substituted with other proteins to which cdc37binds, as a complex by immunoprecipitation of cdc37 by anti-cdc37antibodies, such as a protein having a molecular weight of approximately40 kd, 42 kd, 95 kd, 107 kd and 117 kd.

Complex formation between the cdc37 polypeptide and target polypeptidemay be detected by a variety of techniques. For instance, modulation ofthe formation of complexes can be quantitated using, for example,detectably labelled proteins such as radiolabelled (e.g. ³² P, ³⁵ S, ¹⁴C or ³ H), fluorescently labelled (e.g. FITC), or enzymatically labelledcdc37 or CDK4 polypeptides, by immunoassay, or by chromatographicdetection. The use of enzymatically labeled CDK4 will, of course,generally be used only when enzymatically inactive portions of CDK4 areused, as each protein can possess a measurable intrinsic activity whichcan be detected.

Typically, it will be desirable to immobilize either the cdc37 or theCDK4 polypeptide to facilitate separation of cdc37/CDK4 complexes fromuncomplexed forms of one or both of the proteins, as well as toaccommodate automation of the assay. Binding of CDK4 to cdc37, in thepresence and absence of a candidate agent, can be accomplished in anyvessel suitable for containing the reactants. Examples includemicrotitre plates, test tubes, and micro-centrifuge tubes. In oneembodiment, a fusion protein can be provided which adds a domain thatallows the protein to be bound to a matrix. For example,glutathione-S-transferase/cdc37 (GST/cdc37) fusion proteins can beadsorbed onto glutathione sepharose beads (Sigma Chemical, St. Louis,Mo.) or glutathione derivatized microtitre plates, which are thencombined with the CDK4 polypeptide, e.g. an ³⁵ S-labeled CDK4polypeptide, and the test compound, and the mixture incubated underconditions conducive to complex formation, e.g. at physiologicalconditions for salt and pH, though slightly more stringent conditionsmay be desired, e.g., at 4° C. in a buffer containing 0.6M NaCl or adetergent such as 0.1% Triton X-100. Following incubation, the beads arewashed to remove any unbound CDK4 polypeptide, and the matriximmobilized radiolabel determined directly (e.g. beads placed inscintilant), or in the supernatant after the cdc37/CDK4 complexes aresubsequently dissociated. Alternatively, the complexes can dissociatedfrom the matrix, separated by SDS-PAGE, and the level of CDK4polypeptide found in the bead fraction quantitated from the gel usingstandard electrophoretic techniques such as described in the appendedexamples.

Other techniques for immobilizing proteins on matrices are alsoavailable for use in the subject assay. For instance, either of thecdc37 or CDK4 proteins can be immobilized utilizing conjugation ofbiotin and streptavidin. For instance, biotinylated cdc37 molecules canbe prepared from biotin-NHS (N-hydroxy-succinimide) using techniqueswell known in the art (e.g., biotinylation kit, Pierce Chemicals,Rockford, Ill.), and immobilized in the wells of streptavidin-coated 96well plates (Pierce Chemical). Alternatively, antibodies reactive withthe cdc37 but which do not interfere with CDK4 binding can bederivatized to the wells of the plate, and the cdc37 trapped in thewells by antibody conjugation. As above, preparations of a CDK4polypeptide and a test compound are incubated in the cdc37-presentingwells of the plate, and the amount of cdc37ICDK4 complex trapped in thewell can be quantitated. Exemplary methods for detecting such complexes,in addition to those described above for the GST-immobilized complexes,include iunmunodetection of complexes using antibodies reactive with theCDK4 polypeptide, or which are reactive with the cdc37 protein andcompete for binding with the CDK4 polypeptide; as well as enzyme-linkedassays which rely on detecting an enzymatic activity associated with theCDK4 polypeptide, either intrinsic or extrinsic activity. In theinstance of the latter, the enzyme can be chemically conjugated orprovided as a fusion protein with a CDK4 polypeptide. To illustrate, theCDK4 polypeptide can be chemically cross-linked or genetically fusedwith horseradish peroxidase, and the amount of CDK4 polypeptide trappedin the complex can be assessed with a chromogenic substrate of theenzyme, e.g. 3,3'-diamino-benzadine terahydrochloride or4-chloro-1-napthol. Likewise, a fusion protein comprising the CDK4polypeptide and glutathione-S-transferase can be provided, and complexformation quantitated by detecting the GST activity using1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (Habig et al (1974) J Biol Chem 249:7130).Direct detection of the kinase activity (intrinsic) of CDK4 can beprovided using substrates known in the art, e.g., histone H1 or Rb. Forinstance, the ability of cdc37 to facilitate formation of an activeCDK4/cyclinD1 complex can be assessed by detecting the activation ofimmobuized CDK4 after treatment with cdc37, a cyclin, and a cell lysateproviding a CDK acitivating kinase (CAK).

For processes which rely on immunodetection for quantitating one of theproteins trapped in the complex, antibodies against the protein, such aseither anti-CDK4 or anti-cdc37 antibodies, can be used. Alternatively,the protein to be detected in the complex can be "epitope tagged" in theform of a fusion protein which includes, in addition to the CDK4polypeptide or cdc37 sequence, a second polypeptide for which antibodiesare readily available (e.g. from commercial sources). For instance, theGST fusion proteins described above can also be used for quantificationof binding using antibodies against the GST moiety. Other useful epitopetags include myc-epitopes (e.g., see Ellison et al. (1991) J Biol Chem266:21150-21157) which includes a 10-residue sequence from c-myc, aswell as the pFLAG system (International Biotechnologies, Inc.) or thepEZZ-protein A system (Pharamacia, N.J.).

Moreover, the subject cdc37 polypeptides can be used to generate aninteraction trap assay, as described in the examples below (see also,U.S. Pat. No. 5,283,317; Zervos et al. (1993) Cell 72:223-232; Madura etal. (1993) J Biol Chem 268:12046-12054; Bartel et al. (1993)Biotechniques 14:920-924; and Iwabuchi et al. (1993) Oncogene8:1693-1696), for subsequently detecting agents which disrupt binding ofcdc37 to a CDK or other cell-cycle regulatory protein, e.g. Src or p53.

The interaction trap assay relies on reconstituting in vivo a functionaltranscriptional activator protein from two separate fusion proteins, oneof which comprises the DNA-binding domain of a transcriptional activatorfused to a CDK, such as CDK4. The second fuision protein comprises atranscriptional activation domain (e.g. able to initiate RNA polymerasetranscription) fused to a cdc37 polypeptide. When the CDK4 and cdc37domains of each fusion protein interact, the two domains of thetranscriptional activator protein are brought into sufficient proximityas to cause transcription of a reporter gene. By detecting the level oftranscription of the reporter, the ability of a test agent to inhibit(or potentiate) binding of cdc37 to CDK4 can be evaluated.

In an illustrative embodiment, Saccharomyces cerevisiae YPB2 cells aretransformed simultaneously with a plasmid encoding a GAL4db-CDK4 fusionand with a plasmid encoding the GAL4ad domain fused to a cdc37.Moreover, the strain is transformed such that the GAL4-responsivepromoter drives expression of a phenotypic marker. For example, theability to grow in the absence of histidine can depends on theexpression of the HIS3 gene. When the HIS3 gene is placed under thecontrol of a GAL4-responsive promoter, relief of this auxotrophicphenotype indicates that a functional GAL4 activator has beenreconstituted through the interaction of CDK4 and the cdc37. Thus, atest agent able to inhibit cdc37 interaction with CDK4 will result inyeast cells unable to growth in the absence of histidine. Alternatively,the phenotypic marker (e.g. instead of the HIS3 gene) can be one whichprovides a negative selection (e.g., are cytotoxic) when expressed suchthat agents which disrupt CDK4/cdc37 interactions confer positive growthselection to the cells.

In yet another embodiment, a mammalian cdc37 gene can be used to rescuea yeast cell having a defective Cdc37 gene, such as the temperaturesensitive mutant (Cdc37^(TS) ; see Reed (1980) Genetics 95:561-577; andReed et al. (1985) CSH Symp Quant Biol 50:627-634). For example, ahumanized yeast can be generated by amplifying the coding sequence ofthe human cdc37 clone, and subcloning this sequence into a vector whichcontains the yeast GAL promoter and ACT1 termination sequences flankingthe cdc37 coding sequences. This plasmid can then be used to transform aCdc37^(TS) mutant (Gietz et al. (1992) Nuc Acid Res 20:1425). To assaygrowth rates, cultures of the transformed cells can be grown at 37° C.(an impermissive temperature for the TS mutant) in media supplementedwith galactose. Turbidity measurements, for example, can be used toeasily determine the growth rate. At the non-permissive temperature,growth of the yeast cells becomes dependent upon expression of the humancdc37 protein. Accordingly, the humanized yeast cells can be utilized toidentify compounds which inhibit the action of the human cdc37 protein.It is also deemed to be within the scope of this invention that thehumanized yeast cells of the present assay can be generated so as tocomprise other human cell-cycle proteins. For example, human CDKs andhuman cyclins can also be expressed in the yeast cell. To illustrate, atriple cln deletion mutant of S. Cerevisae which is also conditionallydeficient in cdc28 (the budding yeast equivalent of cdc2) can be rescuedby the co-expression of a human cyclin D1 and human CDK4, demonstratingthat yeast cell-cycle machinery can be at least in part replaced withcorresponding human regulatory proteins. Roberts et al. (1993) PCTPublication Number WO 93/06123. In this manner, the reagent cells of thepresent assay can be generated to more closely approximate the naturalinteractions which the mammalian cdc37 protein might experience.

Furthermore, certain formats of the subject assays can be used toidentify drugs which inhibit proliferation of yeast cells or other lowereukaryotes, but which have a substantially reduced effect on mammaliancells, thereby improving therapeutic index of the drug as ananti-mycotic agent. For instance, in one embodiment, the identificationof such compounds is made possible by the use of differential screeningassays which detect and compare drug-mediated disruption of bindingbetween two or more different types of cdc37/CDK complexes. Differentialscreening assays can be used to exploit the difference in drug-mediateddisruption of human CDK/cdc37 complexes and yeast CDC2/Cdc37 complexesin order to identify agents which display a statistically significantincrease in specificity for disrupting the yeast complexes relative tothe human complexes. Thus, lead compounds which act specifically toinhibit proliferation of pathogens, such as fungus involved in mycoticinfections, can be developed. By way of illustration, the present assayscan be used to screen for agents which may ultimately be useful forinhibiting at least one fungus implicated in such mycosis ascandidiasis, aspergillosis, mucormycosis, blastomycosis, geotrichosis,cryptococcosis, chromoblastomycosis, coccidioidomycosis,conidiosporosis, histoplasmosis, maduiromycosis, rhiinosporidosis,nocaidiosis, para-actinomycosis, penicilliosis, monoliasis, orsporotrichosis. For example, if the mycotic infection to which treatmentis desired is candidiasis, the present assay can comprise comparing therelative effectiveness of a test compound on mediating disruption of ahuman CDK4/cdc37 complex with its effectiveness towards disrupting theequivalent complexes formed from genes cloned from yeast selected fromthe group consisting of Candida albicans, Candida stellatoidea, Candidatropicalis, Candida parapsilosis, Candida krusei, Candidapseudotropicalis, Candida quillermondii, or Candida rugosa. Likewise,the present assay can be used to identify anti-fungal agents which mayhave therapeutic value in the treatment of aspergillosis by making useof an interaction trap assays derived from CDK and Cdc37 genes clonedfrom yeast such as Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus flavus,Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus nidulans, or Aspergillus terreus. Wherethe mycotic infection is mucormycosis, the complexes can be derived fromyeast such as Rhizopus arrhizus, Rhizopus oryzae, Absidia corymbifera,Absidia ramosa, or Mucor pusillus. Sources of other Cdc37-containingcomplexes for comparison with a human CDK/cdc37 complex includes thepathogen Pneumocystis carinii.

EXEMPLIFICATION

The invention now being generally described, it will be more readilyunderstood by reference to the following examples which are includedmerely for purposes of illustration of certain aspects and embodimentsof the present invention, and are not intended to limit the invention.

Manipulation of E. coli, Yeast and DNA was by Standard Methods

Interaction Trap

A general transcription-based selection for protein-protein interactionswas used to isolate cDNA which encode proteins able to bind to CDK4.Development of the "interaction trap assay" or ITS, is described in, forexample, Gyuris et al. (1993) Cell 75:791-803; Chien et al. (1991) PNAS88:9578-9582; Dalton et al. (1992) Cell 68:597-612; Durfee et al. (1993)Genes Dev 7:555-569; Vojteck et al. (1993) Cell 74:205-214; Fields etal. (1989) Nature 340:245-246; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,283,173). As carriedout in the present invention, the interaction trap comprises threedifferent components: a fusion protein that contains the LexADNA-binding domain and that is known to be transcriptionally inert (the"bait"); reporter genes that have no basal transcription and whosetranscriptional regulatory sequences are dependent on binding of LexA;and the proteins encoded by an expression library, which are expressedas chimeras and whose amino termini contrain an activation domain andother useful moieties (the "fish"). Briefly, baits were producedconstitutively from a 211 HIS3+ plasmid under the control of the ADHIpromoter and contained the LexA carboxy-ter-minal oligonmerizationregion. Baits were made in pLexA(1-202)+p1 (described in Ruden et al.Nature (1991) 350:250-252; and Gyuris et al. Cell (1993) 75:791-803)after PCR amplification of the bait coding sequences from the secondamino acid to the stop codon, except for p53 where the bait moietystarts at amino acid 74. Using the PCR primers described in below, CDK2and CDK3 were cloned as EcoR1-BamH1 fragments; CDK4, cyclin D1, cyclinD2, Cyclin E as EcoR1-Sal1 fragments; CDK5, CDK6, Cdi1 as EcoR1-Xho1fragments; and retinoblastoma (pRb), mutRb(Δ702-737), pS53 and cyclin Cas BamH1-Sal1 fragments. When EcoR1 is used, there are two amino acidinserted (EF) between the last amino acid of LexA and the bait moieties.BamH1 fision results in five amino acid insertion (EFPGI) between LexAand the fused protein.

PCR primers

    CDK2:                                                                                                                   5                                                                            '-GGCGGCCGCGAATTCGAGAACTTCCAAAAGG                                             TGGAAAAG-3'  (SEQ ID No. 3)                                                    5'-GCGGCCGCGGATCCAGGCTATCAGAGTCG                                             AAGATGGGGTAC-3'  (SEQ ID No. 4)                                                 - CDK3:                              5'-GCGGCCGCGAATTCGAAGCTGGAGGAGCAACCGGGAGC-3'  (SEQ ID No. 5)                  5'-GCGGCCGCGGATCCTCAATGGCGGAATCGCTGCAGCAC-3'  (SEQ ID No. 6)                   - CDK5:                                                                      5'-GCGGCGGCGTCGACCAGAAATACGAGAAACTGGAAAAG-3'  (SEQ ID No. 7)                  5'-GCGGCGGCGTCGACCGGGGCCTAGGGCGGACAGAAGTC-3'  (SEQ ID No. 8)                   - CDK6:                                                                      5'-GCGGCCGCGAATTCGAGAAGGACGGCCTGTGCCGCGCT-3'  (SEQ ID No. 9)                  5'-GCGGCGGCCTCGAGGAGGCCTCAGGCTGTATTCAGCTC-3'  (SEQ ID No. 10)                  - Cyclin C:                                                                  5'-GGCCGGCCGGGATCCTTGTCGCTCCGCGGCTGCTCCGGCTG-3'  (SEQ ID No. 11)                                                      5'-GCGGCCGCGTCGACGTTTTAAGATTGGCT                                             GTAGCTAGAG-3'  (SEQ ID No. 12)                                                  - Cyclin D1:                         5'-GGCCGGCCGGAATTCGAACACCAGCTCCTGTGCTGCGAAG-3'  (SEQ ID No. 13)                                                       5'-GCGGCCGCGTCGACGCGCCCTCAGATGTC                                             CACGTCCCGC-3'  (SEQ ID No. 14)                                                  - Cyclin D2:                         5'-GCGGCGGCGAATTCGAGCTGCTGTGCCACGAGGTGGAC-3'  (SEQ ID No. 15)                 5'-GCGGCGGCGAATTCGAGCTGCTGTGCCACGAGGTGGAC-3'  (SEQ ID No. 16)                  - Cyclin E:                                                                  5'-GGCCGGCCGGAATTCAAGGAGGACGGCGGCGCGGAGTTC-3'  (SEQ ID No. 17)                5'-GCGGCCGCGTCGACGGGTGGTCACGCCATTTCCGGCCCG-3'  (SEQ ID No. 18)                 - Cdi1:                                                                      5'-GCGGCCGCGAATTCAAGCCGCCCAGTTCAATACAAACAAG-3'  (SEQ ID No. 19)                                                       5'-GCGGCCGCCTCGAGATTCCTTTATCTTGA                                             TACAGATCTTG-3'  (SEQ ID No. 20)                                                 - Rb:                                5'-GCGGCCGCGGATCCAGCCGCCCAAAACCCCCCGAAAAACG-3'  (SEQ ID No. 21)                                                       5'-GCGGCCGCGAATTCCTCGAGCTCATTTCT                                             CTTCCTTGTTTGAGG-3' (SEQ ID No.                                                22)                                     - p53:                                                                       5'-GCGGCCGCGGATCCAAGCCCCTGCACCAGCAGCTCCTACA-3'  (SEQ ID No. 23)                                                       5'-GCGGCCGCGTCGACTCAGTCTGAGTCAGG                                             CCCTTCTGT-3'  (SEQ ID No. 24)    

Reporters

The LexAop-LEU2 construction replaced the yeast chromosomal LEU2 gene.The other reporter, pRB1840, one of a series of LexAop-GAL1-lacZ genes(Brent et al. (1985) Cell 43:729-736; Kamens et al. (1990) Mol Cell Biol10:2840-2847), was carried on a 2μ plasmid. Basal reporter transcriptionwas extremely low, presumably owing both to the removal of the entireupstream activating sequence from both reporters and to the fact thatLexA operators introduced into yeast promoters decrease theirtranscription (Brent and Ptashne (1984) Nature 312:612-615). Reporterswere chosen to differ in sensitivity. The LEU2 reporter contained threecopies of the high affinity LexA-binding site found upstream of E. colicolE1, which presumably bind a total of six dimers of the bait. Incontrast, the lacZ gene contained a single lower affinity operator thatbinds a single dimner of the bait. The operators in the LEU2 reporterwere closer to the transcription start point than they were in the lacZreporter. These differences in the number, affinity, and operatorposition all contribute to that fact that the LEU2 reporter is moresensitive than the lacZ gene.

Expression Vectors and Library

Library proteins were expressed from pJG4-5, a member of a series ofexpression plasmids designed to be used in the interaction trap and tofacilitate analysis of isolated proteins. These plasmids carry the 2μreplicator and the TRP1 marker. pJG4-5, shown in FIG. 1, directs thesynthesis of fusion proteins. Proteins expressed from this vectorpossess the following features: galactose-inducible expression so thattheir synthesis is conditional, an epitope tag to facilitate detection,a nuclear localization signal to maximize intranuclear concentration toincrease selection sensitivity, and an activation domain derived from E.coli (Ma and Ptashne (1987) Cell 57:113-119), chosen because itsactivity is not subject to known regulation by yeast proteins andbecause it is weak enough to avoid toxicity (Gill and Ptashne (1988)Nature 334:721-724; Berger et al. (1992) Cell 70:251-265) that mightrestrict the number or type of interacting proteins recovered. Weintroduced EcoRI-Xho1 cDNA-containing fragments, which were generatedfrom a quiescent normal fibroblast line (WI38), into the pJG4-5 plasmid.

CDK4 Interaction Trap

We began with yeast cells which contained LexAop-LEU2 and LexAop-lacZreporters and the LexA-CDK4 bait. We introduced the WI38 cDNA library(in pJG4-5) into this strain. We recovered a number of transformants onglucose Ura⁻ His⁻ Trp⁻ plates, scraped them, suspended them inapproximately 20 ml of 65% glycerol, 10 mM Tris-HCl (pH 7.5), 10 mMMgCl₂, and stored the cells in 1 ml aliquots at -80° C. We determinedplating efficiency on galactose Ura⁻ His⁻ Trp⁻ after growing 50 μl ofcell suspension for 5 hr in 5 ml of YP medium, 2% galactose. For theselection, about 2×10⁷ galactose-viable cells were plated on fourstandard circular 10 cm galactose Ura⁻ His⁻ Trp⁻ Leu⁻ plates aftergalactose induction. After 4 days at 30° C., LEU+ colonies appeared andwere collected on glucose Ura⁻ His⁻ Trp⁻ master plates and retested onglucose Ura⁻ His⁻ Trp⁻ Leu⁻, galactose Ura⁻ His³¹ Trp⁻ Leu⁻, glucoseX-Gal Ura⁻ His⁻ Trp⁻, and galactose X-Gal Ura⁻ His⁻ Trp⁻ plates. Ofthese, plasmid DNAs were rescued from colonies which showedgalactose-dependent growth on Leu⁻ media and galactose-dependent bluecolor on X-Gal medium (Hoffinan and Winston, (1987) Gene 57:267-272),introduced into E. coli KC8, and transformants collected on Trp⁻ampicillin plates.

We classified library plasmids by restriction pattern on 1.8% agarose,0.5×Tris-borate-EDTA gels after digestion with EcoRI and Xhot and eitherAluI or HaeIII. Clones from each class were sequenced, including a classwhich gave rise to the human cdc37 clone described herein.

Furthermore, we reintroduced the cdc37 clone that contained the longestfragment of that cDNA (e.g. the complete coding region) into EGY48derivatives that contained a panel of different baits, e.g. other CDKs,cyclins, p53, Rb, etc. The human cdc37 clone displayed differentbinding, affinities for other cell-cycle regulatory proteins. Inparticular, cdc37 demonstrated binding to CDK4, and to a lesset extent,CDK5, as well as RB and p53. The cdc37 protein did not display anybinding in the ITS to CDK2 or CDK3, nor did it appear to bind to cdil orany of cyclin C, D1, D2 or E. This finding is significant for a numberof reasons. For example, the cdc37/CDK4 interaction is desirable as atherapeutic target for drug design, in that the selectivity of thatinteraction relative to cdc37 interaction with other cell-cycleregulatory proteins represents the opportunity to obtain drugs withexcellent therapeutic indexes.

Purification of cdc37 Associated Kinases from Mammalian Cell Extracts

Gst-cdc37 protein was bound to glutathione-Sepharose and incubated withHeLa cell lysates. The unbound proteins were washed extensively and thecdc37 bound proteins were eluted by a NaCl salt gradient. The elutedfractions were assayed for kinase activity using Gst-cdc37 as asubstrate. Kinase activity that phosphorylated cdc37 was present infractions eluted between 150-350 mM NaCl.

The fractions that contained kinase activity were collected, and analiquot of the pool was run on SDS/PAGE that contained cdc37 protein inthe gel. Unfractioned Hela extracts were used as a control. After therenaturation of the separated proteins, in gel kinases assays wereperformed and the active kinase bands detected by autoradiography. Fivebands were identified as active by this assay, which bainds arecharacterized by molecular weights of 115-120 kd, 105-110 kd, 95 kd, 42kd and 40 kd, and were identical in the pool and in the control Helaextracts.

The presence of the 40 and 42 kd doublet was reminiscent of Erk1 andErk2, so this possibility was explored. An aliquot of the pool andunfractioned Hela extract were run on SDS/PAGE, transferred to filters,and blotted with an antibody that recognized Erk1 and Erk2. The samemolecular weight bands were detected by immunoblotting in both the pooland the control Hela extract, indicating that Erk1 and Erk2 associatewith cdc37.

Consistent with this, Erk1 and Erk2 immunoprecipitated from human cellscan phosphorylate cdc37 in vitro.

All of the above-cited references and publications are herebyincorporated by reference.

EQUIVALENTS

Those skilled in the art will recognize, or be able to ascertain usingno more than routine experimentation, many equivalents to the specificembodiments of the invention described herein. Such equivalents areintended to be encompassed by the following claims.

    __________________________________________________________________________    #             SEQUENCE LISTING                                                   - -  - - (1) GENERAL INFORMATION:                                             - -    (iii) NUMBER OF SEQUENCES: 28                                          - -  - - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:1:                                     - -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                 (A) LENGTH: 1599 base - #pairs                                                (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                        (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                      (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                 - -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA                                              - -     (ix) FEATURE:                                                                  (A) NAME/KEY: CDS                                                             (B) LOCATION: 43..1180                                               - -     (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:1:                               - - CGCCGCCACC CGAGCCGGAG CGGGTTGGGC CGCCAAGGCA AG ATG GTG - # GAC TAC            54                                                                                        - #                  - #           Met Val Asp Tyr                            - #                  - #             1                       - - AGC GTG TGG GAC CAC ATT GAG GTG TCT GAT GA - #T GAA GAC GAG ACG CAC          102                                                                       Ser Val Trp Asp His Ile Glu Val Ser Asp As - #p Glu Asp Glu Thr His             5                - #  10                - #  15                - #  20       - - CCC AAC ATC GAC ACG GCC AGT CTC TTC CGC TG - #G CGG CAT CAG GCC CGG          150                                                                       Pro Asn Ile Asp Thr Ala Ser Leu Phe Arg Tr - #p Arg His Gln Ala Arg                            25 - #                 30 - #                 35              - - GTG GAA CGC ATG GAG CAG TTC CAG AAG GAG AA - #G GAG GAA CTG GAC AGG          198                                                                       Val Glu Arg Met Glu Gln Phe Gln Lys Glu Ly - #s Glu Glu Leu Asp Arg                        40     - #             45     - #             50                  - - GGC TGC CGC GAG TGC AAG CGC AAG GTG GCC GA - #G TGC CAG AGG AAA CTG          246                                                                       Gly Cys Arg Glu Cys Lys Arg Lys Val Ala Gl - #u Cys Gln Arg Lys Leu                    55         - #         60         - #         65                      - - AAG GAG CTG GAG GTG GCC GAG GGC GGC AAG GC - #A GAG CTG GAG CGC CTG          294                                                                       Lys Glu Leu Glu Val Ala Glu Gly Gly Lys Al - #a Glu Leu Glu Arg Leu                70             - #     75             - #     80                          - - CAG GCC GAG GCA CAG CAG CTG CGC AAG GAG GA - #G CGG AGC TGG GAG CAG          342                                                                       Gln Ala Glu Ala Gln Gln Leu Arg Lys Glu Gl - #u Arg Ser Trp Glu Gln            85                 - # 90                 - # 95                 - #100       - - AAG CTG GAG GAG ATG CGC AAG AAG GAG AAG AG - #C ATG CCC TGG AAC GTG          390                                                                       Lys Leu Glu Glu Met Arg Lys Lys Glu Lys Se - #r Met Pro Trp Asn Val                           105  - #               110  - #               115              - - GAC ACG CTC AGC AAA GAC GGC TTC AGC AAG AG - #C ATG GTA AAT ACC AAG          438                                                                       Asp Thr Leu Ser Lys Asp Gly Phe Ser Lys Se - #r Met Val Asn Thr Lys                       120      - #           125      - #           130                  - - CCC GAG AAG ACG GAG GAG GAC TCA GAG GAG GT - #G AGG GAG CAG AAA CAC          486                                                                       Pro Glu Lys Thr Glu Glu Asp Ser Glu Glu Va - #l Arg Glu Gln Lys His                   135          - #       140          - #       145                      - - AAG ACC TTC GTG GAA AAA TAC GAG AAA CAG AT - #C AAG CAC TTT GGC ATG          534                                                                       Lys Thr Phe Val Glu Lys Tyr Glu Lys Gln Il - #e Lys His Phe Gly Met               150              - #   155              - #   160                          - - CTT CGC CGC TGG GAT GAC AGC CAA AAG TAC CT - #G TCA GAC AAC GTC CAC          582                                                                       Leu Arg Arg Trp Asp Asp Ser Gln Lys Tyr Le - #u Ser Asp Asn Val His           165                 1 - #70                 1 - #75                 1 -      #80                                                                              - - CTG GTG TGC GAG GAG ACA GCC AAT TAC CTG GT - #C ATT TGG TGC ATT        GAC      630                                                                    Leu Val Cys Glu Glu Thr Ala Asn Tyr Leu Va - #l Ile Trp Cys Ile Asp                          185  - #               190  - #               195              - - CTA GAG GTG GAG GAG AAA TGT GCA CTC ATG GA - #G CAG GTG GCC CAC CAG          678                                                                       Leu Glu Val Glu Glu Lys Cys Ala Leu Met Gl - #u Gln Val Ala His Gln                       200      - #           205      - #           210                  - - ACA ATC GTC ATG CAA TTT ATC CTG GAG CTG GC - #C AAG AGC CTA AAG GTG          726                                                                       Thr Ile Val Met Gln Phe Ile Leu Glu Leu Al - #a Lys Ser Leu Lys Val                   215          - #       220          - #       225                      - - GAC CCC CGG GCC TGC TTC CGG CAG TTC TTC AC - #T AAG ATT AAG ACA GCC          774                                                                       Asp Pro Arg Ala Cys Phe Arg Gln Phe Phe Th - #r Lys Ile Lys Thr Ala               230              - #   235              - #   240                          - - GAT CGC CAG TAC ATG GAG GGC TTC AAC GAC GA - #G CTG GAA GCC TTC AAG          822                                                                       Asp Arg Gln Tyr Met Glu Gly Phe Asn Asp Gl - #u Leu Glu Ala Phe Lys           245                 2 - #50                 2 - #55                 2 -      #60                                                                              - - GAG CGT GTG CGG GGC CGT GCC AAG CTG CGC AT - #C GAG AAG GCC ATG        AAG      870                                                                    Glu Arg Val Arg Gly Arg Ala Lys Leu Arg Il - #e Glu Lys Ala Met Lys                          265  - #               270  - #               275              - - GAG TAC GAG GAG GAG GAG CGC AAG AAG CGG CT - #C GGC CCC GGC GGC CTG          918                                                                       Glu Tyr Glu Glu Glu Glu Arg Lys Lys Arg Le - #u Gly Pro Gly Gly Leu                       280      - #           285      - #           290                  - - GAC CCC GTC GAG GTC TAC GAG TCC CTC CCT GA - #G GAA CTC CAG AAG TGC          966                                                                       Asp Pro Val Glu Val Tyr Glu Ser Leu Pro Gl - #u Glu Leu Gln Lys Cys                   295          - #       300          - #       305                      - - TTC GAT GTG AAG GAC GTG CAG ATG CTG CAG GA - #C GCC ATC AGC AAG ATG         1014                                                                       Phe Asp Val Lys Asp Val Gln Met Leu Gln As - #p Ala Ile Ser Lys Met               310              - #   315              - #   320                          - - GAC CCC ACC GAC GCA AAG TAC CAC ATG CAG CG - #C TGC ATT GAC TCT GGC         1062                                                                       Asp Pro Thr Asp Ala Lys Tyr His Met Gln Ar - #g Cys Ile Asp Ser Gly           325                 3 - #30                 3 - #35                 3 -      #40                                                                              - - CTC TGG GTC CCC AAC TCT AAG GCC AGC GAG GC - #C AAG GAG GGA GAG        GAG     1110                                                                    Leu Trp Val Pro Asn Ser Lys Ala Ser Glu Al - #a Lys Glu Gly Glu Glu                          345  - #               350  - #               355              - - GCA GGT CCT GGG GAC CCA TTA CTG GAA GCT GT - #T CCC AAG ACG GGC GAT         1158                                                                       Ala Gly Pro Gly Asp Pro Leu Leu Glu Ala Va - #l Pro Lys Thr Gly Asp                       360      - #           365      - #           370                  - - GAG AAG GAT GTC AGT GTG TGA C CTGCCCCAGC TACC - #ACCGCC ACCTGCTTCC          1210                                                                       Glu Lys Asp Val Ser Val  *                                                            375                                                                    - - AGGCCCCTAT GTGCCCCCTT TTCAAGAAAA CAAGATAGAT GCCATCTCGC CC -             #GCTCCTGA   1270                                                                 - - CTTCCTCTAC TTGCGCTGCT CGGCCCAGCC TGGGGGGCCC GCCCAGCCCT CC -            #CTGGCCTC   1330                                                                 - - TCCACTGTCT CCACTCTCCA GCGCCCAATC AAGTCTCTGC TTTGAGTCAA GG -            #GGCTTCAC   1390                                                                 - - TGCCTGCAGC CCCCCATCAG CATTATGCCA AAGGCCCGGG GGTCCGGGGA AG -            #GGCAGAGG   1450                                                                 - - TCACCAGGCT GGTCTACCAG GTAGTTGGGG AGGGTCCCCA ACCAAGGGGC CG -            #GCTCTCGT   1510                                                                 - - CACTGGGCTC TGTTTTCACT GTTCGTCTGC TGTCTGTGTC TTCTAATTGG CA -            #AACAACAA   1570                                                                 - - TGATCTTCCA ATAAAAGATT TCAGATGCC         - #                  - #              1599                                                                     - -  - - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:2:                                     - -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                 (A) LENGTH:  378 ami - #no acids                                              (B) TYPE: amino acid                                                          (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                 - -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: protein                                           - -     (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:2:                               - - Met Val Asp Tyr Ser Val Trp Asp His Ile Gl - #u Val Ser Asp Asp Glu        1               5 - #                 10 - #                 15              - - Asp Glu Thr His Pro Asn Ile Asp Thr Ala Se - #r Leu Phe Arg Trp Arg                   20     - #             25     - #             30                  - - His Gln Ala Arg Val Glu Arg Met Glu Gln Ph - #e Gln Lys Glu Lys Glu               35         - #         40         - #         45                      - - Glu Leu Asp Arg Gly Cys Arg Glu Cys Lys Ar - #g Lys Val Ala Glu Cys           50             - #     55             - #     60                          - - Gln Arg Lys Leu Lys Glu Leu Glu Val Ala Gl - #u Gly Gly Lys Ala Glu       65                 - # 70                 - # 75                 - # 80       - - Leu Glu Arg Leu Gln Ala Glu Ala Gln Gln Le - #u Arg Lys Glu Glu Arg                       85 - #                 90 - #                 95              - - Ser Trp Glu Gln Lys Leu Glu Glu Met Arg Ly - #s Lys Glu Lys Ser Met                  100      - #           105      - #           110                  - - Pro Trp Asn Val Asp Thr Leu Ser Lys Asp Gl - #y Phe Ser Lys Ser Met              115          - #       120          - #       125                      - - Val Asn Thr Lys Pro Glu Lys Thr Glu Glu As - #p Ser Glu Glu Val Arg          130              - #   135              - #   140                          - - Glu Gln Lys His Lys Thr Phe Val Glu Lys Ty - #r Glu Lys Gln Ile Lys      145                 1 - #50                 1 - #55                 1 -      #60                                                                              - - His Phe Gly Met Leu Arg Arg Trp Asp Asp Se - #r Gln Lys Tyr Leu        Ser                                                                                             165  - #               170  - #               175             - - Asp Asn Val His Leu Val Cys Glu Glu Thr Al - #a Asn Tyr Leu Val Ile                  180      - #           185      - #           190                  - - Trp Cys Ile Asp Leu Glu Val Glu Glu Lys Cy - #s Ala Leu Met Glu Gln              195          - #       200          - #       205                      - - Val Ala His Gln Thr Ile Val Met Gln Phe Il - #e Leu Glu Leu Ala Lys          210              - #   215              - #   220                          - - Ser Leu Lys Val Asp Pro Arg Ala Cys Phe Ar - #g Gln Phe Phe Thr Lys      225                 2 - #30                 2 - #35                 2 -      #40                                                                              - - Ile Lys Thr Ala Asp Arg Gln Tyr Met Glu Gl - #y Phe Asn Asp Glu        Leu                                                                                             245  - #               250  - #               255             - - Glu Ala Phe Lys Glu Arg Val Arg Gly Arg Al - #a Lys Leu Arg Ile Glu                  260      - #           265      - #           270                  - - Lys Ala Met Lys Glu Tyr Glu Glu Glu Glu Ar - #g Lys Lys Arg Leu Gly              275          - #       280          - #       285                      - - Pro Gly Gly Leu Asp Pro Val Glu Val Tyr Gl - #u Ser Leu Pro Glu Glu          290              - #   295              - #   300                          - - Leu Gln Lys Cys Phe Asp Val Lys Asp Val Gl - #n Met Leu Gln Asp Ala      305                 3 - #10                 3 - #15                 3 -      #20                                                                              - - Ile Ser Lys Met Asp Pro Thr Asp Ala Lys Ty - #r His Met Gln Arg        Cys                                                                                             325  - #               330  - #               335             - - Ile Asp Ser Gly Leu Trp Val Pro Asn Ser Ly - #s Ala Ser Glu Ala Lys                  340      - #           345      - #           350                  - - Glu Gly Glu Glu Ala Gly Pro Gly Asp Pro Le - #u Leu Glu Ala Val Pro              355          - #       360          - #       365                      - - Lys Thr Gly Asp Glu Lys Asp Val Ser Val                                      370              - #   375                                                 - -  - - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:3:                                     - -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                 (A) LENGTH:  38 amin - #o acids                                               (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                        (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                      (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                 - -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA                                              - -     (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:3:                               - - GGCGGCCGCG AATTCGAGAA CTTCCAAAAG GTGGAAAAG      - #                      - #    39                                                                      - -  - - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:4:                                     - -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                 (A) LENGTH:  40 amin - #o acids                                               (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                        (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                      (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                 - -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA                                              - -     (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:4:                               - - GCGGCCGCGG ATCCAGGCTA TCAGAGTCGA AGATGGGGTA C    - #                      - #   41                                                                      - -  - - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:5:                                     - -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                 (A) LENGTH:  37 amin - #o acids                                               (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                        (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                      (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                 - -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA                                              - -     (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:5:                               - - GCGGCCGCGA ATTCGAAGCT GGAGGAGCAA CCGGGAGC      - #                      - #     38                                                                      - -  - - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:6:                                     - -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                 (A) LENGTH:  37 amin - #o acids                                               (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                        (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                      (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                 - -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA                                              - -     (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:6:                               - - GCGGCCGCGG ATCCTCAATG GCGGAATCGC TGCAGCAC      - #                      - #     38                                                                      - -  - - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:7:                                     - -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                 (A) LENGTH:  37 amin - #o acids                                               (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                        (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                      (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                 - -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA                                              - -     (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:7:                               - - GCGGCGGCGT CGACCAGAAA TACGAGAAAC TGGAAAAG      - #                      - #     38                                                                      - -  - - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:8:                                     - -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                 (A) LENGTH:  37 amin - #o acids                                               (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                        (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                      (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                 - -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA                                              - -     (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:8:                               - - GCGGCGGCGT CGACCGGGGC CTAGGGCGGA CAGAAGTC      - #                      - #     38                                                                      - -  - - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:9:                                     - -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                 (A) LENGTH:  37 amin - #o acids                                               (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                        (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                      (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                 - -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA                                              - -     (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:9:                               - - GCGGCCGCGA ATTCGAGAAG GACGGCCTGT GCCGCGCT      - #                      - #     38                                                                      - -  - - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:10:                                    - -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                 (A) LENGTH:  37 amin - #o acids                                               (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                        (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                      (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                 - -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA                                              - -     (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:10:                              - - GCGGCGGCCT CGAGGAGGCC TCAGGCTGTA TTCAGCTC      - #                      - #     38                                                                      - -  - - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:11:                                    - -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                 (A) LENGTH:  40 amin - #o acids                                               (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                        (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                      (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                 - -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA                                              - -     (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:11:                              - - GGCCGGCCGG GATCCTTGTC GCTCCGCGGC TGCTCCGGCT G    - #                      - #   41                                                                      - -  - - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:12:                                    - -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                 (A) LENGTH:  38 amin - #o acids                                               (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                        (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                      (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                 - -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA                                              - -     (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:12:                              - - GCGGCCGCGT CGACGTTTTA AGATTGGCTG TAGCTAGAG      - #                      - #    39                                                                      - -  - - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:13:                                    - -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                 (A) LENGTH:  39 amin - #o acids                                               (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                        (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                      (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                 - -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA                                              - -     (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:13:                              - - GGCCGGCCGG AATTCGAACA CCAGCTCCTG TGCTGCGAAG     - #                      - #    40                                                                      - -  - - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:14:                                    - -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                 (A) LENGTH:  38 amin - #o acids                                               (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                        (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                      (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                 - -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA                                              - -     (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:14:                              - - GCGGCCGCGT CGACGCGCCC TCAGATGTCC ACGTCCCGC      - #                      - #    39                                                                      - -  - - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:15:                                    - -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                 (A) LENGTH:  37 amin - #o acids                                               (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                        (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                      (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                 - -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA                                              - -     (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:15:                              - - GCGGCGGCGA ATTCGAGCTG CTGTGCCACG AGGTGGAC      - #                      - #     38                                                                      - -  - - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:16:                                    - -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                 (A) LENGTH:  37 amin - #o acids                                               (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                        (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                      (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                 - -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA                                              - -     (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:16:                              - - GCGGCGGCGA ATTCGAGCTG CTGTGCCACG AGGTGGAC      - #                      - #     38                                                                      - -  - - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:17:                                    - -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                 (A) LENGTH:  38 amin - #o acids                                               (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                        (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                      (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                 - -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA                                              - -     (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:17:                              - - GGCCGGCCGG AATTCAAGGA GGACGGCGGC GCGGAGTTC      - #                      - #    39                                                                      - -  - - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:18:                                    - -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                 (A) LENGTH:  38 amin - #o acids                                               (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                        (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                      (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                 - -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA                                              - -     (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:18:                              - - GCGGCCGCGT CGACGGGTGG TCACGCCATT TCCGGCCCG      - #                      - #    39                                                                      - -  - - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:19:                                    - -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                 (A) LENGTH:  39 amin - #o acids                                               (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                        (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                      (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                 - -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA                                              - -     (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:19:                              - - GCGGCCGCGA ATTCAAGCCG CCCAGTTCAA TACAAACAAG     - #                      - #    40                                                                      - -  - - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:20:                                    - -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                 (A) LENGTH:  39 amin - #o acids                                               (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                        (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                      (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                 - -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA                                              - -     (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:20:                              - - GCGGCCGCCT CGAGATTCCT TTATCTTGAT ACAGATCTTG     - #                      - #    40                                                                      - -  - - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:21:                                    - -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                 (A) LENGTH:  39 amin - #o acids                                               (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                        (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                      (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                 - -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA                                              - -     (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:21:                              - - GCGGCCGCGG ATCCAGCCGC CCAAAACCCC CCGAAAAACG     - #                      - #    40                                                                      - -  - - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:22:                                    - -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                 (A) LENGTH:  43 amin - #o acids                                               (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                        (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                      (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                 - -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA                                              - -     (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:22:                              - - GCGGCCGCGA ATTCCTCGAG CTCATTTCTC TTCCTTGTTT GAGG   - #                      - # 44                                                                      - -  - - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:23:                                    - -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                 (A) LENGTH:  39 amin - #o acids                                               (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                        (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                      (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                 - -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA                                              - -     (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:23:                              - - GCGGCCGCGG ATCCAAGCCC CTGCACCAGC AGCTCCTACA     - #                      - #    40                                                                      - -  - - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:24:                                    - -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                 (A) LENGTH:  37 amin - #o acids                                               (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                        (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                      (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                 - -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA                                              - -     (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:24:                              - - GCGGCCGCGT CGACTCAGTC TGAGTCAGGC CCTTCTGT      - #                      - #     38                                                                      - -  - - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:25:                                    - -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                 (A) LENGTH:  344 ami - #no acids                                              (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                        (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                      (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                 - -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA                                              - -     (ix) FEATURE:                                                                  (A) NAME/KEY: CDS                                                             (B) LOCATION: 7..327                                                 - -     (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:25:                              - - AAGCTT ATG GGT GCT CCT CCA AAA AAG AAG AGA - #AAG GTA GCT GGT ATC            48                                                                               Met Gly Ala Pro Pro Lys Ly - #s Lys Arg Lys Val Ala Gly Ile                     1         - #      5            - #      10                           - - AAT AAA GAT ATC GAG GAG TGC AAT GCC ATC AT - #T GAG CAG TTT ATC GAC           96                                                                       Asn Lys Asp Ile Glu Glu Cys Asn Ala Ile Il - #e Glu Gln Phe Ile Asp            15                 - # 20                 - # 25                 - # 30       - - TAC CTG CGC ACC GGA CAG GAG ATG CCG ATG GA - #A ATG GCG GAT CAG GCG          144                                                                       Tyr Leu Arg Thr Gly Gln Glu Met Pro Met Gl - #u Met Ala Asp Gln Ala                            35 - #                 40 - #                 45              - - ATT AAC GTG GTG CCG GGC ATG ACG CCG AAA AC - #C ATT CTT CAC GCC GGG          192                                                                       Ile Asn Val Val Pro Gly Met Thr Pro Lys Th - #r Ile Leu His Ala Gly                        50     - #             55     - #             60                  - - CCG CCG ATC CAG CCT GAC TGG CTG AAA TCG AA - #T GGT TTT CAT GAA ATT          240                                                                       Pro Pro Ile Gln Pro Asp Trp Leu Lys Ser As - #n Gly Phe His Glu Ile                    65         - #         70         - #         75                      - - GAA GCG GAT GTT AAC GAT ACC AGC CTC TTG CT - #G AGT GGA GAT GCC TCC          288                                                                       Glu Ala Asp Val Asn Asp Thr Ser Leu Leu Le - #u Ser Gly Asp Ala Ser                80             - #     85             - #     90                          - - TAC CCT TAT GAT GTG CCA GAT TAT GCC TCT CC - #C GAA TTC GGCCGACTCG           337                                                                       Tyr Pro Tyr Asp Val Pro Asp Tyr Ala Ser Pr - #o Glu Phe                        95                 - #100                 - #105                              - - AGAAGCTT                - #                  - #                  -     #         345                                                                   - -  - - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:26:                                    - -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                 (A) LENGTH: 107 amino - #acids                                                (B) TYPE: amino acid                                                          (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                 - -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: protein                                           - -     (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:26:                              - - Met Gly Ala Pro Pro Lys Lys Lys Arg Lys Va - #l Ala Gly Ile Asn Lys        1               5 - #                 10 - #                 15              - - Asp Ile Glu Glu Cys Asn Ala Ile Ile Glu Gl - #n Phe Ile Asp Tyr Leu                   20     - #             25     - #             30                  - - Arg Thr Gly Gln Glu Met Pro Met Glu Met Al - #a Asp Gln Ala Ile Asn               35         - #         40         - #         45                      - - Val Val Pro Gly Met Thr Pro Lys Thr Ile Le - #u His Ala Gly Pro Pro           50             - #     55             - #     60                          - - Ile Gln Pro Asp Trp Leu Lys Ser Asn Gly Ph - #e His Glu Ile Glu Ala       65                 - # 70                 - # 75                 - # 80       - - Asp Val Asn Asp Thr Ser Leu Leu Leu Ser Gl - #y Asp Ala Ser Tyr Pro                       85 - #                 90 - #                 95              - - Tyr Asp Val Pro Asp Tyr Ala Ser Pro Glu Ph - #e                                      100      - #           105                                         - -  - - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:27:                                    - -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                 (A) LENGTH: 9 amino - #acids                                                  (B) TYPE: amino acid                                                          (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                 - -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: peptide                                           - -     (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:27:                              - - Pro Pro Lys Lys Lys Arg Lys Val Ala                                        1               5                                                            - -  - - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:28:                                    - -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                 (A) LENGTH: 9 amino - #acids                                                  (B) TYPE: amino acid                                                          (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                 - -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: peptide                                           - -     (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:28:                              - - Tyr Pro Tyr Asp Val Pro Asp Tyr Ala                                        1               5                                                          __________________________________________________________________________

We claim:
 1. A substantially pure nucleic acid encoding a recombinantpolypeptide comprising a cdc37 amino acid sequence at least 80%identical to the amino acid sequence designated by SEQ ID no. 2, or aportion of said cdc37 amino acid sequence, wherein said recombinantpolypeptide or a portion thereof specifically binds to at least one of acyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) and an extracellular-signal regulatedkinase (erk).
 2. The nucleic acid of claim 1, wherein said erk isselected from the group consisting of erk1 and erk2.
 3. The nucleic acidof claim 1, wherein said CDK is a G1 phase CDK.
 4. The nucleic acid ofclaim 1, wherein said CDK is CDK4.
 5. The nucleic acid of claim 1,wherein said recombinant polypeptide modulates at least one activityselected from the group consisting of proliferation, differentiation andsurvival of a cell.
 6. The nucleic acid of claim 5, wherein saidrecombinant polypeptide stimulates activation of a kinase activity ofsaid CDK.
 7. The nucleic acid of claim 5, wherein said recombinantpolypeptide antagonizes activation of a kinase activity of said CDK. 8.The nucleic acid of claim 1, wherein said recombinant polypeptide bindsto a p53 protein.
 9. The nucleic acid of claim 1, wherein said aminoacid sequence is at least 90 percent identical to the amino acidsequence designated by SEQ ID No.
 2. 10. The nucleic acid of claim 1,wherein said amino acid sequence is at least 95 percent homologous tothe amino acid sequence designated by SEQ ID No.
 2. 11. The nucleic acidof claim 1, wherein said recombinant polypeptide comprises a fusionprotein, further comprising a second amino acid sequence unrelated tothe cdc37 amino acid sequence.
 12. The nucleic acid of claim 11, whereinsaid second amino acid sequence comprises a detectable label fordetecting the presence of said fusion protein or a matrix-binding domainfor immobilizing said fusion protein.
 13. The nucleic acid of claim 11,wherein said second amino acid sequence possesses an enzymatic activity.14. The nucleic acid of claim 1, which nucleic acid hybridizes understringency conditions of 0.2×SSC at 50° C. to a nucleic acid probehaving a sequence represented by at least 60 consecutive nucleotides ofSEQ ID No.
 1. 15. The nucleic acid of claim 1, which nucleic acidhybridizes under stringency conditions of 0.2×SSC at 50° C. to a nucleicacid probe having, a sequence represented by at least 120 consecutivenucleotides of SEQ ID No.
 1. 16. The nucleic acid of claim 1, furthercomprising a transcriptional regulatory sequence operably linked to saidnucletide sequence capable of rendering said nucleic acid suitable foruse as an expression vector.
 17. An expression vector, capable ofreplicating in at least one of a procaryotic cell or eukaryotic cell,comprising the nucleic acid of claim
 1. 18. A host cell transfected withthe expression vector of claim 17 and expressing said recombinantpolypeptide.
 19. A method of producing a recombinant cdc37 polypeptidecomprising culturing the cell of claim 18 in a cell culture medium toexpress said recombinant polypeptide and isolating said recombinantpolypeptide from said cell culture.
 20. A nucleic acid compositioncomprising, as nucleic acid component, a substantially purifiedoligonucleotide, said oligonucleotide containing a region of anucleotide sequence which hybridizes under stringency conditions of0.2×SSC at 50° C. to at least 40 consecutive nucleotides of sense orantisense sequence of SEQ ID No. 1, or naturally occurring mutantsthereof.
 21. The nucleic acid composition of claim 20, whicholigonucleotide hybridizes under stringency conditions sufficient topromote DNA hybridization to at least 80 consecutive nucleotides ofsense or antisense sequence of SEQ ID No. 1, or naturally occurringmutants thereof.
 22. The nucleic acid composition of claim 21, whereinsaid oligonucleotide further comprises a detectable label group attachedthereto.
 23. The nucleic acid composition of claim 20, wherein saidoligonucleotide has at least one non-hydrolyzable bond between twoadjacent nucleotide subunits.
 24. A recombinant transfection system,comprising(i) a gene construct including a nucleic acid having anucleotide sequence designated in SEQ ID No. 1, which nucleic acid isoperably linked to a transcriptional regulatory sequence capable ofcausing transcription of an mRNA having said nucleotide sequence; and(ii) a gene delivery composition for delivering said gene construct to acell and causing the cell to be transfected with said gene construct.25. The recombinant transfection system of claim 24, wherein the genedelivery composition is selected from the group consisting of arecombinant viral particle, a liposome, and a poly-cationic nucleic acidbinding agent.
 26. A test kit for detecting cells which contain a cdc37mRNA transcript, comprising the nucleic acid composition of claim 20 formeasuring, in a sample of cells, a level of nucleic acid encoding acdc37 protein.